Jennifer Chiaverini | Quilt Gallery

Quilts by Jennifer Chiaverini

Authors' Album

Since the publication of the first Elm Creek Quilts novel, it has become a tradition for me to recreate the quilts my characters make in my stories. In my new novel, THE SUGAR CAMP QUILT, Dorothea Granger sews a quilt using the Album block, a traditional “friendship quilt” pattern. Instead of the customary signatures of her friends, Dorothea obtain scraps of muslin autographed by authors and “other personages of note.” She stitches a signed piece into the center of each block, sews the blocks together, and raffles off the finished quilt to raise money to build a public library. Dorothea’s project inspired me to create an Authors’ Album opportunity quilt for an organization close to my heart: Capital Candlelighters, the Madison, Wisconsin branch of the Candlelighters Childhood Cancer Foundation.

Click the image at the right
to view a larger version.

Author Jennifer Weiner displays the quilt in progress.

Capital Candlelighters is a non-profit organization serving families whose children have been diagnosed with cancer, especially those treated at the University of Wisconsin Children's Hospital. Its mission is to educate, support, serve, and advocate for children with cancer, their families, survivors of childhood cancer, and the professionals who care for them. The director happens to be my best friend, Anne Spurgeon, whose name you might recall from the acknowledgment pages of my novels. Anne is not only a dear friend, a talented historian, and an exacting reader; she is also the mother of a childhood cancer survivor (as well as two other great kids). For years Anne has passionately supported and advocated for other families facing the ordeals and uncertainties that follow a diagnosis of cancer. She continuously impresses me with her tireless dedication to others, and I wanted to do my small part to help.

Acclaimed author Chang-Rae Lee signs the 61st fabric patch.

I set about collecting the autographs of the authors I know personally and gathered more from authors whose book tours brought them to the Madison area. With the help of my editor, Denise Roy, and my agent, Maria Massie, I obtained even more signatures. Other authors responded to requests sent through the internet. As support for the Authors' Album quickly grew, Anne--always generous--suggested that we share the proceeds with the national Candlelighters office, which would allow the quilt to benefit even more children and their families.

Click on the thumbnails for close-up views of some of the completed blocks so that you can see how many of your favorite authors have graciously lent their names to this project. I also encourage you to visit the web sites for Capital Candlelighters and the Candlelighters Childhood Cancer Foundation so you can see for yourself how the funds raised from this opportunity quilt were put to good and essential use for young cancer patients and their familes.

Click on the thumbnail for a larger image of the quilt block. Click on the author's name for his or her web site (if available).

	Alex Anderson Author of numerous quilting books and popular hostess of HGTV's Simply Quilts.
	Jerry Apps Author of numerous works of nonfiction, including Ringlingville USA, Every Farm Tells A Story, and Rural Wisdom.
	Dean Bakopoulos Named one of America's best new fiction writers by the Virginia Quarterly in 2004 and author of the novel Please Don't Come Back from the Moon.
	Dave Barry The Pulitzer Prize winning humor columnist for the Miami Herald whose work appears in more than 500 newspapers in the United States and abroad. He is also the author of 25 books, but, according to his website, "virtually none of them contains useful information."
	Max Barry The Australian author of the satiric novels Syrup (included on the 1999 Los Angeles Times Best Books of the Year list), Jennifer Government (a finalist for Borders' 2003 Original Voices award and a 2003 New York Times Notable Book), and the forthcoming Company.
	Carrie Bebris Author of the Mr. and Mrs. Darcy Mysteries, including Pride and Prescience and Suspense and Sensibility.
	Elizabeth Berg Author several critically acclaimed, beloved novels, including Open House, The Art of Mending, and the forthcoming The Year of Pleasures.
	Jinny Beyer An award-winning quilter, fabric designer, and author of more ten books on quilting, including Quiltmaking By Hand, Patchwork Portfolio, and Color Confidence for Quilters.
	Judy Blume Beloved bestselling author of books for children and adults, including Are You There, God? It's Me, Margaret, Superfudge, Blubber, Wifey, Just As Long As We're Together, and the New York Times #1 best seller, Summer Sisters More than 75 million copies of her books have been sold, and her work has been translated into more than twenty languages. In 2004, Judy Blume was awarded an honorary National Book Award for her contributions to American letters.
	Barbara Brackman Author of numerous books on quilt history, including Quilts in the Civil War, Patchwork Souvenirs, and America's Printed Fabrics.
	Ray Bradbury Legendary master of science fiction and author of more than five hundred published works, including the books The Martian Chronicles, The Illustrated Man, Fahrenheit 451, and Something Wicked This Way Comes. In 2000, Ray Bradbury was awarded the National Book Foundation's Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters.
	Jan Brett Author and illustrator of many beloved children's books, including The Mitten, Fritz and the Beautiful Horses, Hedgie's Surprise, and The Umbrella.
	Eric Carle The renowned, award-winning author and illustrator of more than 70 books, including the 1969 classic The Very Hungry Caterpillar, The Very Busy Spider, Mister Seahorse, and Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? (with Bill Martin, Jr.).
	Jennifer Chiaverini The New York Times bestselling author of the Elm Creek...Oh, right. That's me.
	Beverly Cleary The beloved, award-winning author of many novels for young readers, including the Ramona books, The Mouse and the Motorcycle, Dear Mr. Henshaw, and Henry Huggins. Beverly Cleary has written two Newbery Honor books, won the 1984 John Newbery Medal for the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children, and was named a 2000 Library of Congress "Living Legend."
	Jennifer Crusie The New York Times bestselling author of more than 15 novels including Bet Me, Faking It, Welcome to Temptation, and Crazy for You.
	Sandra Dallas Celebrated author of historical fiction, including The Persian Pickle Club and The Chili Queen, and the nonfiction account of women pioneers on the Overland Trail to Colorado, The Quilt that Walked to Golden.
	Tenaya Darlington Author of the recently published novel, Maybe Baby, and columnist for Isthmus, an alternative weekly in Madison, Wisconsin.
	Diane Mott Davidson Bestselling author of the Goldy Schulz culinary mysteries, including Double Shot, Chopping Spree, and Sticks & Scones.
	Mimi Dietrich Quilter, lecturer, and author of many popular quilting books, including Easy Applique Samplers, Happy Endings, and Quilts from the Smithsonian.
	Lois Duncan Acclaimed author of 48 books ranging from children's picture books to adult novels, including the young adult thrillers I Know What You Did Last Summer, A Gift of Magic, and Gallows Hill.
	Monica Ferris Author of the Betsy Devonshire needlework mystery series, including Crewel World and Cutwork.
	Earlene Fowler Agatha award-winning author of the Benni Harper mystery series, including Arkansas Traveller, Seven Sisters, and Mariner's Compass.
	Linda Franz Award-winning quilter and author of Quilted Diamonds and Quilted Diamonds 2.
	Margaret George Critically acclaimed author of the bestselling historical novels The Autobiography of Henry VIII, Mary Queen of Scotland and the Isles,, Cleopatra, and Mary, Called Magadalene.
	Karin Gillespie Author of the delightful Bottom Dollar Girls series, including Bet Your Bottom Dollar and the forthcoming A Dollar Short.
	Sue Grafton Bestselling author of the Kinsey Millhone Alphabet Mystery Series, including A is for Alibi, Q is for Quarry, and R is for Ricochet.
	Jane Hamilton Critically acclaimed, bestselling author of several novels, including A Map of the World, Disobedience, The Short History of a Prince, and The Book of Ruth.
	M'Liss Rae Hawley Internationally known quilter, teacher, fabric designer, and author of six books about quilting, including Phenomenal Fat Quarter Quilts and Everyday Embellishments. She is also the host of the television program M'Liss's World of Quilts.
	Jane Heller Author of twelve popular romantic comedies with a twist of suspense, including Best Enemies, Lucky Stars, and the forthcoming An Ex to Grind.
	Kevin Henkes Author and illustrator of many beloved books for children and young adults, including Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse, Julius, Baby of the World, Olive's Ocean, and Caldecott Medal winner Kitten's First Full Moon.
	Virginia Holman The award-winning author of the wrenching, unforgettable memoir, Rescuing Patty Hearst.
	Maddy Hunter Author of the critically acclaimed, bestselling Passport to Peril mystery series, including Alpine for You, Top 'o the Mournin', and Pasta Imperfect.
	Sophie Kinsella Bestselling British author of several delightful novels including Confessions of a Shopaholic, Shopaholic Takes Manhattan, Shopaholic and Sister, and Can You Keep A Secret? .
	Lorna Landvik Author of the bestselling novels Angry Housewives Eating Bonbons, Patty Jane's House of Curl, Your Oasis on Flame Lake, Welcome to the Great Mysterious, and The Tall Pine Polka.
	Chang-rae Lee Winner of the Hemingway Foundation/PEN Award for his debut novel, Native Speaker, and author of the critically accliamed novels A Gesture Life and Aloft, Chang-Rae Lee was also named one of the twenty best American writers under forty by the New Yorker
	Ursula K. Le Guin Award-winning, critically acclaimed author of twenty novels, many anthologized short stories, six volumes of poetry, thirteen children's books, four collections of essays, and literary criticism. Her awards and accolades include multiple Hugo Awards, Nebula Awards, Locus Awards, the Newbery Silver Medal Award, and the National Book Award for Children's Books. Some of her best known works include the Earthsea books, The Left Hand of Darkness, The Lathe of Heaven, and Gifts.
	John Lescroart Bestselling author of fifteen novels, including suspenseful legal thrillers The Motive, The Second Chair, and The Hearing.
	Lois Lowry Author of Newbery award winning books Number the Stars and The Giver, as well as many other beloved books for younger readers, including the Anastasia series, the Sam Krupnik series, and stand alone novels such as Find a Stranger, Say Goodbye and A Summer to Die.
	Jo-Ann Mapson Author of eight novels, including Hank & Chloe, The Wilder Sisters, and Bad Girl Cleek, as well as many freelance articles, national book reviews, and a monthly column on the writing life for Art Matters.
	Judy Martin Popular author of 17 quilting books, including Knockout Blocks and Sampler Quilts, Piece 'n' Play Quilts and The Creative Pattern Book.
	Jacquelyn Mitchard Author of The Deep End of the Ocean, the first selection of Oprah Winfrey's Book Club, and several other novels and children's books, including A Theory of Relativity and Baby Bat's Lullaby.
	Audrey Niffenegger Acclaimed artist and bestselling author of The Time-Traveller's Wife.
	Brenda Papadakis Quilter and author of Dear Jane: The Two-Hundred Twenty-Five Patterns from the 1863 Jane A. Stickle Quilt and Dear Hannah.
	Tom Perrotta Critically acclaimed author of Election, Joe College, and Little Children.
	Diane Phalen Watercolor artist best known for her quilt landscapes and author of Diane Phalen Quilts, Joe College, and Diane Phalen Quilts from a Painter's Art.
	Anna Quindlen Pulitzer Prize winning journalist and bestselling author of several books, including Black and Blue, One True Thing, and A Short Guide to a Happy Life.
	Lucinda Rosenfeld Acclaimed author of What She Saw... and Why She Went Home.
	Terry Ryan Author of the compelling memoir, The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio, soon to be a major motion picture from Dreamworks starring Julianne Moore and Woody Harrelson.
	Ami Simms Author of several quilting books, including Picture Play Quilts, Creating Scrapbook Quilts, and How NOT to Make a Prize-Winning Quilt. Ami is also the creator of the Worst Quilt in the World_ contest.
	Curtis Sittenfeld The author of the bestselling novel, Prep, Sittenfeld's work has been published in Seventeen, The Mississippi Review, Fast Company, The New York Times, The Washington Post, Salon,* and Real Simple, and on public radio's This American Life.*
	Heather Skyler Author of The Perfect Age, a debut coming-of-age novel that"perfectly captures the languid heat of long Las Vegas summers and the irresistible temptations of love at any age." (Publishers' Weekly)
	Charles Slack Notable author of nonfiction, including Hetty: The Genius and Madness of America's First Female Tycoon and Blue Fairways: Three Months, Sixty Courses, No Mulligans
	Nicholas Sparks America's favorite chronicler of love stories including the New York Times #1 bestsellers The Notebook, Message in a Bottle, A Walk to Remember, and The Wedding and the memoir Three Weeks With My Brother.
	Helen Squire Celebrated quilting authority and columnist for Lady's Circle Patchwork Quilts and American Quilter magazines and author of seven books on quilting patterns, including Dear Helen, Can You Tell Me?, Helen's Guide to Quilting in the 21st Century, and Create with Helen Squire.
	Timothy Tyson University of Wisconsin professor of African-American studies and author of the acclaimed memoir, Blood Done Sign My Name, a 2005 nominee for the National Book Critics' Circle Award.
	Susan Vreeland The New York Times bestselling author of the novels The Forest Lover, Girl in Hyacinth Blue, The Passion of Artemisia, and the short story collection Life Studies.
	Kate Walbert Critically acclaimed author of The Gardens of Kyoto, Where She Went, and a 2004 National Book Award Finalist for fiction, Our Kind: A Novel in Stories.
	Ayelet Waldman Author of the Mommy-Track Mysteries series, including Nursery Crimes, The Big Nap, Playdate with Death, and Death Gets a Time-Out, and the critically acclaimed novel, Daughter's Keeper.
	Jennifer Weiner The gifted storyteller and beloved author of the New York Times bestselling novels Good in Bed, In Her Shoes, Little Earthquakes, and Goodnight Nobody (Fall 2005).
	Rebecca Wells Author of the bestselling novels Little Altars Everywhere, The Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood, and Ya-Yas in Bloom.

The pattern for "Authors' Album" appears in my third pattern book, More Elm Creek Quilts (C&T Publishing, 2008).

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