Elm Creek Quilts, Etc.

by Jennifer Chiaverini

Rather than post review after review about the books in the Elm Creek Quilts series, I thought I'd post one generic review about the series in general. I was wandering through the library looking for something light and fun for summer reading, and this series literally jumped off the shelf at me. I hesitated, as I am not a quilter, and was concerned about it being full of quilting jargon.

And it was...but presented in such a way that it didn't take over and distract me from the stories at hand. My only problem with these books is that I literally know very little about quilting, and often they'll be talking about a specific quilt block pattern, and I'll have no clue what they are talking about. I really wish the books would come with a small section of quilt diagrams to show me what they are talking about. Overall though, the stories are what shine.

Jennifer Chiaverini is an excellent storyteller. I was drawn right into each of her books that I've read, and I'm looking forward to reading more. What I really love about what she writes is that each book in the series is completely different from the others. The group of people who are the focus in book 2 are not the same group of people who are the focus in book 3- but we still get interaction from the book 2 cast. They are really expertly woven together. And of course, these books really make me want to learn quilting- which I'd already had a mild interest in, but I have determined that this coming winter I intend to learn some basic quilting techniques.

The focus of the books is a retreat called Elm Creek where people can escape for a week to quilt camp and learn quilting- whether they are beginner or advanced quilters. There's such a camaraderie that develops among the quilters that it certainly makes me wish there really was an Elm Creek Quilt Camp to get away to for just a week. (Of course, I'm certain there are such places, but I want to go to the fictional one.) I will definitely recommend these books to anyone looking for a fun light read that still has some depth and character to it. And no doubt, a seasoned quilter will also enjoy all the quilting details woven into the stories.