Bee Creative featuring “Bee Creative” by Deb Strain 2015.
I think this quilt shows off the Bee Creative fabric better than Bee Blocks (note the lazy name of this pattern). I have a thing for antique ladders and vintage suitcases and the third picture in this post is part of my current Christmas decorations. Deb’s bee fabrics are so pretty and fresh and I thought that this would make a nice wall hanging for your sewing room.
Bee Blocks featuring “Bee Creative” by Deb Strain 2015.
The next three days will be “Bee” quilts (because this trunk show is alphabetical) and are a good demonstration of the difficulty in choosing names for patterns. Sometimes I can come up with something interesting that may mean something to me and I will think “That is really clever, Barb. Well done” Other times the name results like this: “This quilt is made with bee fabric. It’s a bunch of blocks. Why don’t I call it Bee Blocks.” Sometimes I forget that I have already used a name until after I have sent covers to the distributors requiring a quick retiring of a previous pattern or the adding of the year onto the end like: Into the Woods 2017. Sometimes I name the pattern after the fabric line (Spoiler Alert: Day 26 and 27) Bee Blocks measures 68” x 80” and is an easy all pieced pattern with no appliqué.
Beary Christmas featuring “Heartfelt” by Kansas Troubles 2015.
I love this cute little bear. Not your traditional Christmas quilt but appropriate for Christmas in the woods. Of course bears sleep through Christmas but if they did not, I am sure they would all wear Santa hats and bow ties. The bear has legs that are separate shapes from the its body but because I used the same fabric, the bear does kind of look like a blob from the head down in the photo. It really does not look like a blob in real life, lol.
Bean Banners - Talk to Me After My Coffee featuring “Brew” by Deb Strain 2018.
Routine is very important during chaos to establish some normalcy and some measure of control over our own environment. As I write this, I am listening to the news and the latest Covid-19 numbers after having closed the windows up tight because of the smoke from the wildfires in the Pacific Northwest. (I wrote this blurb in the summer) Thank you to my cup of coffee for keeping me sane! I started this project in the summer but then postponed the start of it because the company hosting my website was closing and I had two months to redo it on Shopify. I am really happy with the new site that became two sites, one for the US and one for Canada and the rest of the world. It doesn’t matter if you type in coachhousedesigns.com or coachhousedesigns.ca because a geolocator app will take you to the right site. I can’t believe how much technology has improved from 2000 when I started my first internet store for my quilt shop.
Bean Banners - Coffee in My Cupboard featuring “Brew” by Deb Strain 2018.
Coffee quilt number 2 - this one showing coffee cups in a cupboard (hence the name of the quilt, lol) As mentioned yesterday, my favorite mug was designed by Rae Dunn and it says “create” on the front. I pull it out whenever I am starting a design project. A few summers ago, Kathy Schmitz and Deb Strain came to visit me and I bought one for each of us. Bonding through coffee! I am grateful for these two talented women who have become very good friends.
Bean Banners - Coffee Delivery featuring “Brew” by Deb Strain 2018.
My obsession with coffee began in my twenties as a new lawyer in a big firm. Previously a tea drinker, I felt compelled to join the leagues of coffee drinkers so I would fit in. I started with Mochas, then lattes, then cappuccinos and now I am a three shot americano with a dash of cream (not milk). Needless to say when Deb designed this line, I was all over it. This is the first of three projects in my Bean Banners pattern. This one shows labelled crates of coffee beans topped with 4 cups of steaming coffee! (also shout out to Rae Dunn, the designer of my favorite coffee mug whose cups and canister are shown on the tray)
Beach Livin’ featuring “Beach House” by Kate Nelligan 2014.
This cute little table runner has been a good seller over the years. Appliqué is not as intimidating on a small project! For those of us confined to our landlocked existences, this is one way to dream about that beach vacation when the world gets back to normal. If I remade this, I would use Hawaiian prints so I could picture me, on the beach in Maui (but in the shade of an umbrella with lots of sunscreen), Chi-Chi in one hand, book in the other. Where is your dream beach vacation?
Baubles Bed Runner featuring “La Vie En Rouge” by French General 2018.
While staying at a Marriott in Maui, I was really struck by how pretty the bed runner on the bed was and how it added so much to the otherwise plain white bed linen. Lightbulb went on and this pattern is the result. At 81” long, it works for beds all the way up to king size. There is lots of appliqué here but as a decorative item, fusible web makes the project a lot quicker. Change the fabrics from red and white to blacks and greys and you have a whole new look.
Barn Raising featuring “Farm Fun” by Stacy Iest Hsu 2016.
This was such a cute fabric line. The first quilt I designed for it is called Time to Harvest which is a farming-themed large lap quilt with lots of appliqué and is geared for kids. I wanted to design a quilt that would appeal to adults. I thought barns, and then traditional community barn raising and then log cabins. In an attempt to make it different from every other log cabin pattern out there, I added in the white triangles. I think it is a very happy quilt and would be perfect for a picnic on a sunny day.
Barn Dance featuring “Welcome Fall” by Deb Strain 2016.
Deb’s fabric lines almost always have a panel and I must say I have really enjoyed the challenge of coming up with new ways to set them. In 2016 we travelled to Ontario and took a drive in a rural community that had lots of barn quilts and that was my inspiration for this pattern. (I really think that all barns should be red.) If you would like to tour the Barn Quilt Trail in Ontario, check out barnquilttrails.ca - “where we appreciate and curate barn quilts in Canada”.
Baby Bird featuring “Storybook” by Kate & Birdie 2013.
The little bird on this baby quilt was inspired by the artwork on this fabric line by Kate & Birdie as is the case with many of my patterns. With the appliqué bow, it is a perfect quilt for a little princess. It took me a long time to get photos of a lot of my quilts because my photography skills were definitely lacking and this is one of the photos I took this summer. I never really figured out how to use my husband’s camera and there are only so many hours in the day. I am very grateful for smart phones which take awesome photos, especially in outdoor lighting.
Baby Bear Too! featuring “Lullaby” by Kate & Birdie 2016.
This little quilt is made from the same fabric as yesterday. It measures 26” x 38” and was meant to be a wall quilt to match (or save) the Baby Baby quilts. It sold slightly better than Baby Baby. You will see a few more quilts during my virtual trunk show that represent my furniture phase. Here we have a dresser, a teddy, a lamp and a blanket tucked into one of the drawers. I have included a collage of swatches to show you just how cute this fabric line was as my patterns just didn’t do it justice.
Baby Baby featuring “Lullaby” by Kate & Birdie 2016.
This pattern was a fail and I apologize to Kate & Birdie. The fabric was so cute and instead of showcasing it I just made it look blah. The quilting on the layer cake version is horrible. The geometric design is all wobbly. I know there are tips and techniques to more successfully stitch this type of design with a long arm but the problem with being a micro manager like I am is that there is very little time for learning new things. Tomorrow’s quilt is also from Lullaby and I think I did a much better job on it.
Avenue Blooms featuring “Park Avenue” by 3 Sisters 2010.
This would be one of those not-so-good sellers. When I first started designing patterns I wanted to come up with something clever or different. This pattern uses precuts and each square has cathedral window corners. It was fun to make but I sold a grand total of 34 patterns. It now lives in the discontinued box.
Autumn Stars featuring “Bee Inspired” by Deb Strain 2016.
Deb has the most amazing bee fabrics and she has a lot of happy customers every time she comes out with a new line. Her newest line “Bee Grateful” is in stores now and it is gorgeous! This queen size quilt features fairly simple piecing and large pieces to showcase your favourite fabrics like the beautiful monarch butterfly fabric in this quilt. I put a lot of thought into the patterns that I do for her panels so it is nice to do something simple as well.
At the Fair featuring “Bee’s ‘N Blooms” by Kansas Troubles 2015.
Country Fairs are such great events for young and old to showcase their special talents. Before I started designing I owned a quilt shop in my community and one year, I was asked to judge the quilting projects at our fair. It was so fun to see the simple beginner quilts all the way to the complicated masterpieces. Kansas Troubles’ country palette reminded me of the fair and this quilt was the result. The apples and jam motifs are repeated in order to keep down the number of pages in the pattern. If I had my way, my patterns would likely all be the size of books!
At the Beach featuring “Beach House” by Kate Nelligan 2014.
I loved this funky beach fabric as soon as I saw it. I designed two projects with it (the second is Beach Livin’ which will be coming up on Day 20) The appliqué shapes are simple to reflect the fabric design. (Who decided to change the name of thongs to flip flops?) This quilt would be perfect for a beach picnic or a picnic in the park so you can pretend you are at the beach. I currently live in the Fraser Valley of BC in an inland rural community surrounded by lakes and mountains. It really is a beautiful place to live but I grew up in Vancouver, BC spending summers at Kits Beach and Spanish Banks and I will always have a soft spot for the oceanside.
At Home Banners - Love Begins at Home featuring “Home” by Kathy Schmitz 2014.
What a true sentiment especially right now when we are all banding together to support our loved ones through the pandemic. The appliqué for this wall quilt was inspired by the “Home” panel but not the Love Begins at Home block. I really liked the sentiment but the panel image had too many elements in it so I used the artwork for the “Home is Where the Heart Is” block as inspiration instead. I try to add just enough appliqué to give a project something special without scaring away quilters. When I first started quilting, I was so afraid of appliqué until I was taught the technique that I include in my patterns. It takes some practice but once you figure it out, it is so worth it!
At Home Banners - Home Sweet Home featuring “Home” by Kathy Schmitz 2019 This pretty quilt is hanging in my kitchen and has been a great comfort for me during Covid. I always work from home so the biggest adjustment for me was having everyone else around! The house in this project shows up quite a bit in my work with little tweaks to like adding a Christmas trees or changing the windows and the porch. I don’t like to repeat the elements in my quilts too much but you will usually see trends in quilts that were designed close together (like the pieced block on the top of this quilt which is in all three wall quilts).
At Home Banners - Bless this Nest featuring “Home” by Kathy Schmitz 2019.
My “At Home Banners” pattern includes instructions for 3 wall quilts so the next three days will be devoted to them. I am a sucker for Kathy’s neutrals and she completely outdid herself with this fabric line. The saying on each of the wall quilts is taken from her coordinating panel. I was quite pleased with the look of the pieced block in this set of quilts and even more pleased that I did not have to make that many of them to complete the projects! I try and stay on top of making my samples during the year so that I am not sewing 14 hours a day before Quilt Market, which happens twice a year. Quilt Market is where I show my work to shop owners and distributors. Intentions aside, I am usually scrambling to get quilts finished so I like projects that are quick to make. Fortunately for me, my fabulous friend Marcie is always sewing along with me and never complains when I give the projects with the most pieces!
Antoinette featuring “Printemps” by 3 Sisters 2013.
This 60” x 72” lap quilt is named after Marie Antoinette. It is an appliqué extravaganza and was inspired by our trip to the Palace of Versailles just outside of Paris. What an amazing spectacle of architecture and design. The tour of the gardens and the multiple statues and fountains was just as inspiring as the tour of the palace. Unlike many of my samples now, every shape on this quilt was turned by hand and hand sewn to the background.
Antiques featuring “Elementary” by Sweetwater 2014.
When I first saw this fabric by Sweetwater, I thought antiques. When my husband and I were first married, we went to a lot of antique auctions because it was an inexpensive and fun way to furnish our home. The pieces we collected were not valuable but they became precious to us. It was like adding instant history to our home. This table runner depicts some of the pieces we picked up or coveted along the way. The table runner measures 19” x 55”.
Alphabet Soup featuring “ABC123” by American Jane 2013.
I love American Jane’s vintage vibe and this fabric, in its bold primary colors, reminded me of my textbooks in primary school. With this inspiration, I wanted to design a child’s quilt that reminded me of the walls of my kindergarten class room. The letters, cars and trucks make for a perfect play mat for your little one. This quilt measures 62” x 75”. Sorry the photo is a bit fuzzy. It is from my old iPhone and I do not have the quilt anymore to take a new photo. I really like this quilt and did not want to leave it out.
All Stacked Up featuring “Homegrown Holidays” by Deb Strain 2020.
This pattern is new for 2020 and definitely falls into the best seller category. I am a sucker for animals with quilts on their backs. My logo for my quilt shop (sold in 2008) was a cow with a quilt on its back. When I saw Deb’s panel and the stacked animals on one of the blocks, I had to try and design a pieced version of the design. Each of the animals is divided into smaller sections to allow the piecing to fit together so you need to follow the instructions carefully. There is a little bit of appliqué to embellish the designs. This wall quilt measures 36” x 50”.
All Roads Lead Home Banners featuring “Holiday Lodge” by Deb Strain 2019.
I love the sentiment that All Roads Lead Home at Christmas. I don’t think we ever lose that magic feeling about Christmas that we develop as children and as we grow older that magic is found with our families. That will be harder this year so I am putting up more decorations to compensate! When I saw this panel, I wanted to try something different with it and make into a triptych or a quilt divided into three. The challenges in this project are the snowflakes which involve working with smaller pieces and finding a wall which will accommodate the 2 - 31” square and 1 - 44” x 62” wall quilts.
Abundance 20” x 38” featuring “Round Robin” by Kathy Schmitz 2012.
My design process always starts with the fabric. The applique shapes on this table runner were inspired by Kathy’s folksy art on the fabric. The warm colours suggested fall to me so my runner was designed to represent the fall harvest. This picture was taken at Thanksgiving at our cabin and the pumpkin pecan cheesecake sitting on the runner became an instant family favourite. I’d give it five stars. The recipe is by Eleanor Johnson and can be found at allrecipes.com. Make sure to make the pumpkin butter too. You will see, as you hopefully continue to follow my Virtual Trunk Show, that most of my patterns feature fabric from Moda fabric designers. Kathy Schmitz got me my figurative foot in the Moda door when she asked me if I would like to design patterns featuring her fabric in 2008. I have designed patterns for every fabric line she has put out since then.
I can't believe it has been so long since I posted on my blog. Well yes I can. It is a result of trying to do everything yourself. I now have an almost full time employee who is going to help manage me and keep me organized.
I will be posting my Virtual Trunk Show starting tomorrow.
I sold my quilt shops in 2008 and began my journey as a quilt pattern designer. I've had some good sellers, some great sellers and some not-so-much sellers. The important thing is to keep trying and keep designing. Tomorrow will be the first day of my virtual trunk show. I will be posting the good, the bad and the "What was I thinking?" every day until I run out of photos. Logistics have prevented me from taking photos of some of my designs but I will show you everything that I have in alphabetical order so that the old and new will be mixed up. I will let you in on the inspriration of each of the designs and explain my process along the way. There will also be some giveaways and calls to share your versions of my patterns. Please follow me so you can share in my trip down memory lane and maybe it will inspire you budding designers out there to start your own journey.
