As I prepare to start a blog series on the Elm Creek Quilts, I thought it would be fun to take a look behind the scenes at the woman who crafted the books.
Jennifer Chiaverini has a long history of writing. She got a BA in English from Notre Dame and an MA from the University of Chicago, and has taught writing at Edgewood College as well as Penn State. After she married her husband Martin, she moved to Madison, Wisconsin, where the couple is raising their two sons.
Jennifer is an accomplished quilter, as you can tell just by picking up one of her books. You couldn’t fake that kind of knowledge of stitches, technique and fabrics. (I don’t sew and it was hard for me to fake that last sentence!) She has also created a line of beautiful material available through Red Rooster Fabrics.
She wrote two quilt pattern books where you can find instructions to make the quilts mentioned in her novels. The first is called “Elm Creek Quilts” and has patterns that are suitable to all skill levels. The second is “Return to Elm Creek” and features twelve all new patterns, with suggestions for piecing and appliqué.
Her novels are creations in and of themselves. They are quiet stories; no murder or high drama, but rather the simple stories of women who love to create. Her main character, Sylvia Compton, is the owner of a beautiful old mansion just chock full of rooms but no people. She decides to take her love of quilting and turn it into a business and a vocation by inviting women from all over the country to stay at her home and attend a quilting camp. Thus is born Elm Creek Quilts, and as we read each novel we come to learn the history of the mansion, of Sylvia herself, and we catch a glimpse into the lives of each of the women who come to stay the week. I’m really looking forward to reviewing the whole series for you.
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