Today’s book for Fiber Arts Fiction Friday is The Quilter’s Apprentice by Jennifer Chiaverini. I’ve read this book before, and you can find my initial review here. This is the first book in the author’s prolific Elm Creek Quilt series, which currently includes 21 books! I love reading books that are part of a long series, and the Elm Creek Quilt series doesn’t disappoint.
Synopsis (Story Details Below, But No Major Spoilers)
Unhappy with their current jobs, Sarah and Matt McClure take a chance and move to the small town of Waterford, Pennsylvania, where Matt has managed to find a new job as a landscape architect. Although Sarah is a trained and experienced accountant, she’s grown dissatisfied with the field and is looking to try her hand at something new. But no matter what type of job she applies for, her prospective employers keep trying to shoehorn her back into an accounting role.
In the meantime, Matt has been assigned work at Elm Creek Manor where he’s helping the elderly owner, Sylvia Compson, prepare the extensive house and estate for sale. Sylvia is desperate for help sorting through her family’s possessions and Matt volunteers Sarah to take on the job as she continues her own job search. Although at first reluctant to put her search for a full-time job on hold, Sarah recognizes an opportunity and negotiates with Sylvia to include quilting lessons as part of her payment!
Sarah and Sylvia tackle one room of the house at a time, with stories of Sylvia’s childhood and life interspersed throughout. Sylvia keeps her word and Sarah begins work on her very first quilt sampler. They build a friendship one thread at a time, as Sarah resolves to help Sylvia work through the pain of the past and find a way to move forward.
At the same time, Sarah is making new quilting friends in Waterford and joins the Tangled Web Quilters: a quilting circle that has gone rogue from the Waterford Quilt Guild! Sarah sees the opportunity for the Tangled Web Quilts and Sylvia to come together and create new friendships. Although there are challenges for the women as they stitch together new (and rekindle old!) relationships, they all join together around the quilt frame.
My Review
This first book in the series is such a wonderful introduction to a group of women that we will get to know and love throughout the 21-book series! Each character has incredible depth, and their flaws put on full display instead of being glossed over. This helps make the characters more “human” and allows the reader to identify in different ways with each one.
One of my favorite things about this book is how it touches on some of the drama and disagreements in the quilting world! Even though the Tangled Web Quilters are great friends, there is an underlying tension around the topic of machine versus hand sewing/quilting. Is there a “one true way” to make a quilt? Some of the members sure do think so, but others are not as convinced! Many quilters have probably had this conversation either within their quilt guild or at their local quilt store, so it’s a great storyline that really hits home.
Final Thoughts
I really enjoyed re-reading The Quilter’s Apprentice and I’m looking forward to working my way through the whole series in order!
Want to grab your own copy? Find it here as a hardcover, Kindle book, or audiobook on Amazon.
There’s also a companion book (Elm Creek Quilts: Quilt Projects Inspired by the Elm Creek Quilts Novels) that includes quilt patterns inspired by the series! Having a project book like this is a fun way for readers to create a quilt that will always remind them of the quilty books they have read.
Disclosure: Some of the links above are affiliate links. This means that, at zero cost to you, I will earn an affiliate commission if you click through the link and finalize a purchase.
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