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Interview with Jennifer Chiaverini
Interview with Jennifer Chiaverini
Interview with Jennifer Chiaverini
A Conversation with Jennifer Chiaverini, Author of The Cross-Country Quilters
1. Which came first—the quilting, or the ideas for the novels? How did your quilting inform the book and how did the book inform your quilting?
I’ve always wanted to be a writer. Ever since I learned to read, I’ve wanted to share stories with others the way my favorite writers shared their stories with me. When I was working on my first novel, The Quilter’s Apprentice, I knew I wanted to write about friendship, especially women's friendship and how women use friendship to sustain themselves and nurture each other. I also wanted to write about women's work, about the value we place upon it and how women's work is judged, whether it is it paid work outside the home, volunteering within the community, or raising a family.
Beginning writers are often advised to "write what you know," and since I knew about quilters—their quirks, their inside jokes, their disputes and their generosity, their quarrels and their kindnesses—the lives of quilters became a natural subject for me. Quilting wove together my two themes as completely and effortlessly as I could have hoped. Anyone who invests time and energy into a long-term project such as a quilt learns along the way to value the work of their hands and their creative choices. But perhaps even more importantly, quilting is a wonderful artistic outlet that draws one into a wider community of talented, supportive women and men who teach and encourage one another.
I was very fortunate that my first novel captivated the imaginations of so many readers who asked for a sequel. After that, one book led to another as I discovered other facets to my characters I wanted to investigate further.
2. How long have you been quilting? How did you get started, and why do you think it became so central to who you are, what you do, and what you write about?
When my husband, Marty, and I married in 1994, I longed for a beautiful heirloom wedding quilt to commemorate the occasion and decorate our first home together. Unfortunately, none of my friends or relatives quilted, and our tight budget would not allow us to purchase one. It quickly became evident that if I wanted a beautiful heirloom wedding quilt, I would have to make it myself.
The town where we lived at that time did not have a quilt shop, so I purchased an instruction book and fabric from a discount store and taught myself to quilt. My first project was a simple nine-block sampler, not the elaborate king-size bed quilt I had envisioned, but I was pleased with it and wanted to begin a new project right away. I bought more pattern books, browsed through quilting magazines, and sought advice from more experienced quilters on the Internet.
Since then I have made many more quilts, learned many different techniques, improved my skills, and even published two pattern books of quilts inspired by the Elm Creek Quilt novels -- but I still haven’t made that beautiful heirloom wedding quilt! I have told my husband not to expect it on the bed before our twentieth anniversary.
3. Why did you decide to populate this third Elm Creek quilts novel with an entirely new cast of characters? Will we see these characters again?
After Round Robin came out, many readers told me they wished they could attend Elm Creek Quilt Camp—and some readers encouraged me to build such a place! Instead, I did the next best thing: I wrote a novel allowing the reader to experience quilt camp through the characters’ eyes. Grace Daniels quickly became one of my favorite characters, and she has made several appearances in subsequent Elm Creek Quilts novels. The other four Cross-Country Quilters make brief appearances in The Master Quilter, and I’ve always thought that I’d like to revisit their group someday.
4. Do you think of the quilts you feature in each of your Elm Creek Quilts novels as characters, of a sort? How do you decide which quilts and patterns to include in which novels?
The quilts in my novels are as important to my characters as real quilts are to the quilters who make them. As you can imagine, I have to put a lot of thought into which patterns and styles I select so that they suit the character, setting, era, and mood of the book.
Sometimes a quilt will play an important role as a narrative device. In The Quilter’s Apprentice, a sampler quilt serves as a useful instructional project as the elder woman teaches her young friend how to quilt, but the patterns also evoke stories from the elder woman's childhood and life as a young bride on the World War II home front. In Round Robin, a round robin quilt allowed me to tell the story from different characters' perspectives as the central block was passed around the circle of friends and each contributed her border. In The Cross-Country Quilters, the Challenge Quilt symbolizes the characters’ personal goals and the friendship that binds them together, and also serves to motivate them to begin resolving certain crises in their lives. That motivation helps drive the narrative.
Often I will use a quilt to provide insight into a particular character's personality or past. You can tell a lot about a quilter from the style of quilts she makes, the techniques she uses, her color and fabric palettes, and whether she finishes quilts or has a closet full of UFO's (Unfinished Fabric Objects). My characters are no exception.
5. Which character was easiest for you to relate to? Is there one woman in the book with whom you identify the most?
If I have to choose one, I suppose I would choose Grace Daniels because of her passion for quilt history. I’ve enjoyed Grace so much that I’ve managed to pull her into almost every other Elm Creek Quilts novel that follows, even if her appearance comes only in a letter.
6. This is a novel about growth and change over one year. All of these women have an obstacle to overcome, be it physically, mentally, or emotionally, all in the course of twelve months, and quilting is at the center of it. Do you believe that quilting in and of itself can be healing in these ways? How so?
Quilting can, but so too can reading. I marvel at the stories my readers have shared with me through the years about how my books have become a catalyst for positive change or growth in their lives. Some readers, after reading of Sarah McClure’s uncertainty in a new town and how she discovered a welcoming circle of new friends at the local quilt shop, have joined local quilting guilds to build new friendships. Others, moved by Sylvia Compson’s wistful reflections upon missed opportunities to reconcile with her estranged sister, have summoned up the moral courage necessary to mend broken relationships within their own families. One woman from my home state of Wisconsin found inspiration in the story of Grace Daniels, who struggled emotionally and physically to pursue her quilting after a diagnosis of multiple sclerosis. Contending with the same illness, my reader decided that, like Grace, she would find a way to continue the work that she loved, teaching elementary school. When I work alone at my computer, telling stories of characters and places close to my heart, it’s sometimes easy to forget that my words might have a positive impact beyond my quiet room, and it’s gratifying and humbling when readers let me know.
7. As a writer, and a prolific one at that, to whom do you look for inspiration? Who are your influences, both classic and contemporary?
This is such a difficult question to answer because I’m sure to accidentally leave out one my best writer friends! Let’s just say that my favorite author is Jane Austen, and I enjoy reading a wide variety of classic and contemporary authors. I rely on friends and independent booksellers to recommend their favorites to me. Oh, and since my sister, a librarian, is beside me as I write this, I would be remiss not to mention her as my very favorite source for excellent book recommendations.
8. What are you reading right now—or what is on your nightstand, just begging you to pick it up?
I recently finished Kevin Brockmeier’s short story collection, Things That Fall from the Sky, and I’m currently reading Velma Jean Learns to Drive by Jennifer Niven. Both are wonderful, captivating books, and coincidentally, both were gifts from two of my favorite bibliophiles. I’ve been fortunate to have read a number of wonderful books this year—Keith Donohue’s The Stolen Child, Kathryn Stockett’s The Help, and Hillary Jordan’s Mudbound were particular favorites.
9. What’s next for Elm Creek Quilts? Have you thought of writing on other topics besides quilting, or perhaps pursuing a children's book?
My next book, The Aloha Quilt, will take readers from Elm Creek Manor to Hawaii as Elm Creek Quilter Bonnie Markham helps an old friend launch a new quilt camp in Lahaina on Maui. I plan to continue the Elm Creek Quilts series as long as I enjoy writing them and readers enjoy reading them, and as long as each novel is fresh, intriguing, and can stand on its own as an engrossing story. As for books outside of the series, it would certainly be fun to write a children’s book for my two sons to enjoy. Or perhaps someday I'll put my academic training to use, delve more deeply into historical research, and write more nonfiction. I'm excited about the possibilities and grateful that my loyal readers have encouraged me to keep writing.
<< Previous Interview
1. Which came first—the quilting, or the ideas for the novels? How did your quilting inform the book and how did the book inform your quilting?
I’ve always wanted to be a writer. Ever since I learned to read, I’ve wanted to share stories with others the way my favorite writers shared their stories with me. When I was working on my first novel, The Quilter’s Apprentice, I knew I wanted to write about friendship, especially women's friendship and how women use friendship to sustain themselves and nurture each other. I also wanted to write about women's work, about the value we place upon it and how women's work is judged, whether it is it paid work outside the home, volunteering within the community, or raising a family.
Beginning writers are often advised to "write what you know," and since I knew about quilters—their quirks, their inside jokes, their disputes and their generosity, their quarrels and their kindnesses—the lives of quilters became a natural subject for me. Quilting wove together my two themes as completely and effortlessly as I could have hoped. Anyone who invests time and energy into a long-term project such as a quilt learns along the way to value the work of their hands and their creative choices. But perhaps even more importantly, quilting is a wonderful artistic outlet that draws one into a wider community of talented, supportive women and men who teach and encourage one another.
I was very fortunate that my first novel captivated the imaginations of so many readers who asked for a sequel. After that, one book led to another as I discovered other facets to my characters I wanted to investigate further.
2. How long have you been quilting? How did you get started, and why do you think it became so central to who you are, what you do, and what you write about?
When my husband, Marty, and I married in 1994, I longed for a beautiful heirloom wedding quilt to commemorate the occasion and decorate our first home together. Unfortunately, none of my friends or relatives quilted, and our tight budget would not allow us to purchase one. It quickly became evident that if I wanted a beautiful heirloom wedding quilt, I would have to make it myself.
The town where we lived at that time did not have a quilt shop, so I purchased an instruction book and fabric from a discount store and taught myself to quilt. My first project was a simple nine-block sampler, not the elaborate king-size bed quilt I had envisioned, but I was pleased with it and wanted to begin a new project right away. I bought more pattern books, browsed through quilting magazines, and sought advice from more experienced quilters on the Internet.
Since then I have made many more quilts, learned many different techniques, improved my skills, and even published two pattern books of quilts inspired by the Elm Creek Quilt novels -- but I still haven’t made that beautiful heirloom wedding quilt! I have told my husband not to expect it on the bed before our twentieth anniversary.
3. Why did you decide to populate this third Elm Creek quilts novel with an entirely new cast of characters? Will we see these characters again?
After Round Robin came out, many readers told me they wished they could attend Elm Creek Quilt Camp—and some readers encouraged me to build such a place! Instead, I did the next best thing: I wrote a novel allowing the reader to experience quilt camp through the characters’ eyes. Grace Daniels quickly became one of my favorite characters, and she has made several appearances in subsequent Elm Creek Quilts novels. The other four Cross-Country Quilters make brief appearances in The Master Quilter, and I’ve always thought that I’d like to revisit their group someday.
4. Do you think of the quilts you feature in each of your Elm Creek Quilts novels as characters, of a sort? How do you decide which quilts and patterns to include in which novels?
The quilts in my novels are as important to my characters as real quilts are to the quilters who make them. As you can imagine, I have to put a lot of thought into which patterns and styles I select so that they suit the character, setting, era, and mood of the book.
Sometimes a quilt will play an important role as a narrative device. In The Quilter’s Apprentice, a sampler quilt serves as a useful instructional project as the elder woman teaches her young friend how to quilt, but the patterns also evoke stories from the elder woman's childhood and life as a young bride on the World War II home front. In Round Robin, a round robin quilt allowed me to tell the story from different characters' perspectives as the central block was passed around the circle of friends and each contributed her border. In The Cross-Country Quilters, the Challenge Quilt symbolizes the characters’ personal goals and the friendship that binds them together, and also serves to motivate them to begin resolving certain crises in their lives. That motivation helps drive the narrative.
Often I will use a quilt to provide insight into a particular character's personality or past. You can tell a lot about a quilter from the style of quilts she makes, the techniques she uses, her color and fabric palettes, and whether she finishes quilts or has a closet full of UFO's (Unfinished Fabric Objects). My characters are no exception.
5. Which character was easiest for you to relate to? Is there one woman in the book with whom you identify the most?
If I have to choose one, I suppose I would choose Grace Daniels because of her passion for quilt history. I’ve enjoyed Grace so much that I’ve managed to pull her into almost every other Elm Creek Quilts novel that follows, even if her appearance comes only in a letter.
6. This is a novel about growth and change over one year. All of these women have an obstacle to overcome, be it physically, mentally, or emotionally, all in the course of twelve months, and quilting is at the center of it. Do you believe that quilting in and of itself can be healing in these ways? How so?
Quilting can, but so too can reading. I marvel at the stories my readers have shared with me through the years about how my books have become a catalyst for positive change or growth in their lives. Some readers, after reading of Sarah McClure’s uncertainty in a new town and how she discovered a welcoming circle of new friends at the local quilt shop, have joined local quilting guilds to build new friendships. Others, moved by Sylvia Compson’s wistful reflections upon missed opportunities to reconcile with her estranged sister, have summoned up the moral courage necessary to mend broken relationships within their own families. One woman from my home state of Wisconsin found inspiration in the story of Grace Daniels, who struggled emotionally and physically to pursue her quilting after a diagnosis of multiple sclerosis. Contending with the same illness, my reader decided that, like Grace, she would find a way to continue the work that she loved, teaching elementary school. When I work alone at my computer, telling stories of characters and places close to my heart, it’s sometimes easy to forget that my words might have a positive impact beyond my quiet room, and it’s gratifying and humbling when readers let me know.
7. As a writer, and a prolific one at that, to whom do you look for inspiration? Who are your influences, both classic and contemporary?
This is such a difficult question to answer because I’m sure to accidentally leave out one my best writer friends! Let’s just say that my favorite author is Jane Austen, and I enjoy reading a wide variety of classic and contemporary authors. I rely on friends and independent booksellers to recommend their favorites to me. Oh, and since my sister, a librarian, is beside me as I write this, I would be remiss not to mention her as my very favorite source for excellent book recommendations.
8. What are you reading right now—or what is on your nightstand, just begging you to pick it up?
I recently finished Kevin Brockmeier’s short story collection, Things That Fall from the Sky, and I’m currently reading Velma Jean Learns to Drive by Jennifer Niven. Both are wonderful, captivating books, and coincidentally, both were gifts from two of my favorite bibliophiles. I’ve been fortunate to have read a number of wonderful books this year—Keith Donohue’s The Stolen Child, Kathryn Stockett’s The Help, and Hillary Jordan’s Mudbound were particular favorites.
9. What’s next for Elm Creek Quilts? Have you thought of writing on other topics besides quilting, or perhaps pursuing a children's book?
My next book, The Aloha Quilt, will take readers from Elm Creek Manor to Hawaii as Elm Creek Quilter Bonnie Markham helps an old friend launch a new quilt camp in Lahaina on Maui. I plan to continue the Elm Creek Quilts series as long as I enjoy writing them and readers enjoy reading them, and as long as each novel is fresh, intriguing, and can stand on its own as an engrossing story. As for books outside of the series, it would certainly be fun to write a children’s book for my two sons to enjoy. Or perhaps someday I'll put my academic training to use, delve more deeply into historical research, and write more nonfiction. I'm excited about the possibilities and grateful that my loyal readers have encouraged me to keep writing.
