Like the quilts? Get the patterns
Jennifer Chiaverini takes more than her novels on her book tours -- she also takes her quilts.
It all started when the Wisconsin author set off to promote her first book about then-novice quilter Sarah McClure, "The Quilter's Apprentice" (1999).
"I thought, 'I bet people would like to see the quilt that Sarah made (in the book),' " Chiaverini says. So, being a quilter herself, she stitched up "Sarah's Sampler."
The practice continued for book after book in the now 18-novel series, and also led Chiaverini to publish a line of pattern books. The newest of those is "Traditions From Elm Creek Quilts: 13 Quilts Projects to Piece and Applique," which will be released by C&T Publishing on Wednesday.
"If people read 'The Wedding Quilt' and they want to make the wedding quilt Caroline receives in that book, they can make it," says Chiaverini, who speaks in Bountiful on Thursday.
What is this prolific author and graduate of the University of Notre Dame and the University of Chicago quilting now?
The Loyal Union Sampler, a pattern from her early 2011 book "The Union Quilters."
"It's 121 different blocks, so it's quite a project," Chiaverini says.
The author has also written a recipe book, "The Quilter's Kitchen" (2008), featuring recipes from her fictional characters, and designs a line of quilting fabrics for Red Rooster Fabrics.
Besides talking about her newest novel, "The Wedding Quilt," on her book tour, Chiaverini says she loves to see what her readers are stitching as well.
"It's always a treat for me," she says, "when someone brings a quilt."
-- Becky Cairns
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