Traditions from Elm Creek Quilts

October 3, 2011
Chiaverini (The Wedding Quilt) writes novels plotted around the Elm Creek Quilters. She describes well the work produced by the women, but all the fine adjectives in the fiction do not do justice to the quilts she produces. Perhaps that's why, in addition to 18 novels, Chiaverini has also authored four collections of quilt projects, based on the novels' quilts. Her newest contains quilts described in Chiaverini's last half-dozen novels, along with sidebar quotes from the novels, but discusses little of the quilts themselves. For The Last Quilter, set in the Civil War, Chiaverini designed Mr. Lincoln's Spy. Pineapple Patch, the quilt developed from The Aloha Quilt, is worked in an emerald green material set in ivory from Chiaverini's fabric line. She designed the 13 projects, including two holiday quilts, and pieced them, sometimes aided by her mother, Geraldine Neidenbach, and her sister, Heather Neidenbach; a friend, Sue Vollbrecht, machine-quilted them. Templates are sized to work with. The directions, from cutting to constructing, instruct the intermediate quilter; for example, terms like "cornerstones" are not defined and the quilter is occasionally referred to a general quiltmaking book for technique advice.

November 15, 2011

Chiaverini, author of the popular "Elm Creek Quilts" novels (e.g., The Wedding Quilt), presents a collection of quilts inspired by her books. The projects range from traditional piecework to complex applique, and step-by-step cutting and piecing instructions (including templates where needed) are included. Most projects lean toward classic Americana in both design and color choice, but individual quilters can adapt and modify to suit their tastes. The collection is targeted to Chiaverini's fans--she includes an essay on the inspiration behind her novels, as well as numerous excerpts--but the projects will appeal to quilters of all skill levels.

Copyright 2011 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.