September and Back to School

My wonderful 4 kids all go back to school in 3 days. With new school supplies, new backpack and one or two new outfits they are ready to take the plunge and like all things in the world that you can count on, it has started to rain after a summer of beautiful weather.

Our cabin is moving along in leaps and bounds. I have a new picture posted.

I have 4 new patterns featuring Kathy's Schmitz's new fabric line "Birdsong". This line features a beautiful bird border fabric which I have featured in 2 of the patterns. The Moda representatives will be showing them to the stores in September and October and the fabric and patterns should be available in December. Two of the patterns, so far, will have the pattern in Kathy's fabrics on the front and in other fabrics on the back of the front cover. I am hoping to do that for all of them. Time will tell.... Now back to the binding on "Birdsongs".

Here is a picture of the one of the applique blocks in "Fly Away Home".

Summer Vacation 2

Winter Welcome in Queen Size is done and posted online. Thank you Kathy Schmitz for designing such great fabric! The centre of the quilt is the published pattern which is now available at your local quilt shop or online from me. The Winter Welcome pattern retails for $10. The expansion to Queen Size is free but you need the original pattern to complete it.

I also finished a quilt for my youngest son which I have been working on since Spring Quilt Market. I used a fat quarter pack and panel of Funky Monkey and I put Minkee Dot on the back. After convincing him that monkeys are still cool for 10 year olds, he has decided that he likes it.

Summer Vacation in July

It’s been a perfect day! We are up at the lake with the family except my husband who is unfortunately at home working until tomorrow. The day started with fresh baked muffins and friends visiting. We spent hours pouring over the plans for our new cabin which is being constructed next door. After my friends left, I managed to shave several years off my Wii fitness age (well below my real age) and then tackled the hill on my bike without stopping that I have been working on for the last week. I then went swimming with the kids in the lake which was warm enough as long as I floated on top and didn’t move around too much. I then made chipotle chicken nachos for dinner which was my invention and the kids devoured in a manner of minutes. I even managed to spend some time working on my Winter Welcome expansion pattern and reading a new book. Summer is Great!

What's Going On

I have been busy since my last blog. I have finished the quilt top for my next design which I am going to keep to myself for a little while longer. It is going to be published using Kathy Schmitz's next line, "Bird Song", due out this fall and in some other beautiful fabrics by Sandi Henderson. I am almost finished another top which features Moda Layer Cakes which I hope to be able to show you soon and a little wallhanging using wool and wool roving.

During this fun time, I am cleaning up my studio so I can get pictures of it online. That actually might take a few months in between design time and family time. We are also building a new cabin at Loon Lake BC. The property has been in my family since the 1940's. The original cabin built by my grandfather, my dad and his brothers was demolished last week and the construction of the new cabin started this week. It's very exciting and we will be travelling back and forth this summer to watch the progress.

I finished "Cutting for Stone". Although I really enjoyed the history and culture of Ethiopia, the book was not one of my favourites. I am now reading "Cathedral of the Sea" which is set in 14th Century Spain. I am really enjoying it.

First Day Blogging

Today is my first day blogging.

My name is Barb Cherniwchan and I am a quilt designer. I design under the name Coach House Designs. I came up with that name because my studio is in a coach house behind our home. It is really a one bedroom apartment that has been converted to my office/studio/mess. I love it because it keeps my mess out of the house - most of the time.

Before designing, I owned 2 quilt shops in the Fraser Valley which I sold in January of 2008. Since then I have been wholesaling Rabbits Haven patterns with my partner Arlene Neely. Arlene is very clever. She has 52 patterns and her first fabric line coming out in October 2009 at Fall Quilt Market. Our partnership is coming to an end next month as I have decided to spend more time with my family and working on my own designs.

I have 4 published patterns on my website - 3 using Kathy Schmitz's 2009 Christmas line "Holly Jolly Snowmen". "Winter Welcome" has been selling like crazy and I am now working on patterns featuring her next line that it being released at fall market.

The kids are in bed and my husband, Darin, is in Budapest so I am going to enjoy this time reading "Cutting for Stone" - my book club book.