Barb Cherniwchan - Coach House Designs

Cozy Cabin Time

2012-01-22T19:15:00.000-08:00

What's better than a cozy lap quilt to keep you warm on cold winter nights. This pattern coincidentally called "Cabin Cozy", features Kathy Schmitz's upcoming line "Bits and Pieces". The rich colors of this fabric line, available in May of this year, will be great in your family room or den from September to April.

Snow Day Again

2012-01-20T09:24:00.000-08:00

I finally feel like I really live in Canada. Five days in a row of Snow Days for the kids with blowing snow and -20 degrees celsius temperatures. We haven't had weather like this in 15 years and I didn't miss it. Today's new pattern post is called "Winter Friends" featuring Deb Strain's 2012 Christmas line "Share the Joy". Too bad it's too cold and windy to build snowmen here!

Autumn 2012

2012-01-18T20:55:00.000-08:00

Here is the 2nd pattern of nine featuring "Give Thanks" by Deb Strain. This pattern, called "Falling Leaves" includes piecing and hand applique. Fall is my favorite time of year and I can hardly wait to make this quilt when the fabric is available.

Fall and Winter 2012

2012-01-16T21:22:00.000-08:00

Just when you thought that Christmas was over, the Moda fabric sales reps are on the road showing Christmas fabric and patterns for 2012. Just like the fabric designers, we pattern designers are planning a year in advance. I have designed 9 patterns for Autumn/Christmas 2012 featuring upcoming fabric lines by Deb Strain and Kathy Schmitz. I am happy to give a preview of my upcoming patterns beginning with "Boo!" featuring Happy H'owl'o-ween by Deb Strain. This pattern and fabric line will be in stores beginning May 2012.

Summer 2011

2011-08-30T19:30:00.001-07:00

Summer is coming to a close as the last days of August pass by on the calendar. It has been a busy summer for me as I try and wrap up the final edits to my upcoming book called "Room by Room Quilts" to be published by Leisure Arts. The anticipated release date is Spring 2012. My booth at Fall Quilt Market will feature my book projects which have been made almost exclusively with Moda Fabrics. I will post some sneak peeks soon. My double booth will be across from United Notions so come by to say hello.

I have also designed two new patterns that will be available next spring. The first pattern on the left is called "Window Garden" and features the fabric line "Good Fortune" by Kate Spain. The second pattern is called "Playtime" and features the fabric line "Grow with Me" by Deb Strain & Daughters. Make sure you ask your local quilt shops to carry these lines (and my patterns too). Their Moda reps will be showing them to your local quilt shop in September.

Spring 2011

2011-04-28T11:48:00.000-07:00

It's spring again and that means Quilt Market. My friend Marcia and I will be travelling to Salt Lake City for my third Quilt Market. I will be showing 14 quilts all new since Fall Quilt Market in Houston. I have been working with fabric lines by Kathy Schmitz and Deb Strain with a couple of designs featuring fabrics by Kate Spain, 3 Sisters, Basic Grey and French General.

Come visit us in booth 1025!

Spring Is in the Air!

2010-03-22T19:23:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since I last posted but I have been very busy. We finished the cabin and managed to spend Christmas at the Lake. It was beautiful.

I have three new patterns coming out this summer which feature Kathy Schmitz's 2010 Christmas Line "Christmas Magic" (Ho Ho Ho pictured below). I have also designed two patterns for her 2010 Flannel Line "Rosehips & Sweet Briar" which should be available in August.

I am taking a big leap and heading to Spring Quilt Market in Minneapolis. I will be showing the "Christmas Magic" patterns as well as patterns featuring "Makin' New Friends" by Deb Strain and "Park Avenue" by 3 Sisters, both of which are also 2010 Christmas Lines. I will also be introducing "Bed Bling".....more on that later!

I hope to have the shopping cart on my website activated soon so keep checking back.

September and Back to School

2009-09-05T10:08:00.000-07:00

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

2009-07-21T19:27:00.000-07:00

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

2009-07-20T22:14:00.000-07:00

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

2009-06-23T19:06:00.000-07:00

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

2009-05-28T22:17:00.000-07:00

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.