Today for Fiber Arts Fiction Friday we’re returning to Waterford, Pennsylvania, with the second installment in Jennifer Chiaverini’s quilting fiction Elm Creek Quilts series: Round Robin.
Synopsis (Story Details Below, But No Major Spoilers)
The ladies of the newly founded Elm Creek Quilts have been busy! The Tangled Web Quilters have joined Sylvia Compson to create a new quilt circle, as well as a new business. They’ve launched their very own quilt camp at Elm Creek Manor, and were even featured on a television program! Sylvia, owner of the estate is pleased to see how well herself and Elm Creek Manor appear on the show, but disappointed at a rather inconsiderate comment from her young protege, Sarah McClure, that was caught on film. Sarah’s mother (about whom the comment was made), calls and reads Sarah the riot act, but it’s clear that this has just driven the wedge between Sarah and her mother deeper.
In an attempt to help them repair their relationship, Sylvia invites Sarah’s mother Carol to attend Quilt Camp. When Carol arrives to check in, it quickly becomes clear that there is much more work to be done than Sylvia ever expected. Despite the tension between Sarah and her mother, Carol quickly becomes an honorary member of the Elm Creek Quilters and doesn’t hesitate to pitch in with the work that goes into running a successful camp.
Meanwhile, the Elm Creek Quilters are hard at work on a secret quilt project to hang in the front entryway of Elm Creek Manor: a round robin quilt. Traditionally, a round robin includes multiple blocks where each sewist creates the center block, and then the blocks are passed around so that each other participant can add their own border. These ladies have adopted the concept to create a medallion center, with each person adding their own border to that single block.
As always, each of the women face their own challenges but are supported by the other quilters. Judy discovers a part of her family she didn’t know existed, Sarah and her husband Matt consider the risks of putting both their livelihoods into Elm Creek Manor, Bonnie discovers a dark family secret, Gwen prepares for her daughter Summer to leave for graduate school, Summer reevaluates what she wants to do with her life, and Diana helps her two teenage sons navigate a clash between local politicians and their love for skateboarding.
Sylvia herself faces multiple challenges, first when a now-elderly gentleman from her youth shows up on her doorstep and then when she succumbs to a serious health issue. Through hard work, perseverance, and the power of community Sylvia recovers and realizes she needs to take steps now to secure the legacy of both Elm Creek Manor and the growing venture of the Elm Creek quilt camp.
My Review
While I’ve been to weekend quilt retreats before, this book has me putting a week-long quilt camp on my bucket list! It was so fun to read the author’s description of the daily activities: everything from lectures on the history of various quilting techniques, to classes, and then simple stitching with a group brought the story to life.
One message I took away from this book is that we never know when our past will come forward and be a part of our present. This is demonstrated throughout several of the storylines, where people from the past arrive in Waterford to change the lives of the Elm Creek quilters. While these visitors from the past were certainly a surprise, the women also discovered that they had a greater capacity for change than they ever realized.
Final Thoughts
Another enjoyable quilting fiction book! This is a wonderful second read in the Elm Creek Quilts series. It built on the group of quilters that we met in the first book, and gave us a deeper look into the small town of Waterford. It was a pleasure to cheer each of these women on, even when some of their challenges felt daunting. I’m looking forward to reading the next book in the series, Cross-Country Quilters!
Want to grab your own copy of Round Robin? You can find it on Amazon here.
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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