The World’s Fair Quilt by Jennifer Chiaverini
Jennifer Chiaverini continues the celebration of the Elm Creek quilting Community with Sylvia Bergstrom. This is a series.
With the Bergstrom family venue for quilting retreats, Sylvia finds that the business is struggling. She wants to preserve the family legacy and she has to get creative. In 1933, Sylvia and her sister had a quilt displayed at the World’s Fair. The competition caused somewhat of a rift with the family.
In 2004, Summer Sullivan, a founding quilter in the community, wants to take the community through the history of the business by displaying the quilt and letting it tell its story.
Reluctantly considering the proposal, Sylvia makes an unexpected discovery and finds her faith in the quilt and the way forward for the Elm Creek Quilt community.
This was a charming story, I enjoyed it and perhaps I would have enjoyed it more if I had read the series.

I would like to thank NetGalley for the opportunity to review an ARC of this book.
3/5

Title: The World’s Fair Quilt
Series: Elm Creek Quilts Series #23
Author: Jennifer Chiaverini
Publisher: William Morrow
Genre: Women’s Fiction
Pub Date: April 1 2025
My Rating: 3.2 Stars
Pages: 304

Story is told in two timelines 1933 & 2004~

1933 ~Teenagers Sylvia and her sister Claudia and Century of Progress World’s Fair Quilt Contest .and plan to enter the Sears World Fair Quilt Competition.

2004- Sylvia is now trying to keep her quilting camp afloat

I am big thriller fan and this is like a lazy no stress afternoon in Elm Creek Manor-no twisted psychos, no spicy romance - but a delightful break from hustle and stress and a comfy read.

There is history involved in this story. There really was a Sears Quilt contest in the World’s Fair. There were 24,000 entries in the contest!
True there is a lot of quilting details. However, even if you are not a quilter you will still enjoy the characters.

Want to thank NetGalley and William Morrow for granting my wish and granting me this early eGalley.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for April 1, 2025.

Pennsylvania - 1930s and 2000s

It's autumn in Pennsylvania and Sylvia Bergstrom Compson has some decisions to make in order to preserve and promote her Elm Creek Quilts Camp at Elm Creek Manor. Despite its popularity, finances are becoming increasingly difficult to manage. In her eighties, Sylvia is reluctant to make many needed changes, but is realizing that that hesitation is only making things worse. So when Summer Sullivan, one of Elm Creek Quilter's founders, arrives to ask Sylvia to loan her a quilt that Sylvia and her sister, Claudia, made for the Sears National Quilt Contest to enter at the 1933 Chicago World's Fair, Sylvia once again hesitates. Why?

The contest was a challenge for the sisters. Claudia, the eldest at fifteen, and Sylvia, thirteen, had been quilting since they were little girls, learning from their mother. After she died, Sylvia, especially, kept up with the lessons she'd learned from her mother, while Claudia was less interested, and, to Sylvia less skilled or particular about her stitches. So the fact that they would work together on the Worlds Fair quilt was a challenge for both. But they diligently finished each of their parts of the process, submitting the quilt just in time for the contest.

Sylvia was reluctant to reveal to Summer that the quilt brought back some difficult memories for her, and it was one more decision she was having difficulty making. The quilters camp was so important to her, and to all of those who had been attending it for years, that Sylvia knew she needed to let those who had all of the new ideas to keep the place going forward do what she was dragging her feet over. They needed those new ideas to promote the Manor, and to make needed repairs around the farm. Can Sylvia put the past behind her and move forward?

THE WORLD'S FAIR QUILT is book 23 of the Elm Creek Quilts Series. For Sylvia this is a time for serious decision making, something she's finding hard to do because of memories and secrets from the past. Will her reluctance affect the quilters' camp? Enjoy this sweet, thoughtful tale.

If you are a fan of the Elm Creek series, this will be a welcome addition to your library. Sylvia's Elm Creek Manor and Farm is undergoing some much needed updates and repairs, and while growing pains occur, Sylvia tries her best to remain positive and focus on the success of the Elm Creek Quilters. A request has been made for a quilt Sylvia and her sister created for the 1933 Chicago World's Fair. While Summer prepares the quilt for display, Sylvia is reminded of all that went into creating the quilt and the accompanying excitement surrounding the World's Fair.
This is a lovely story. Jennifer Chiaverini has a gift for describing things in such detail it makes you feel as if you are right there. While this book, and apparently the series, is based on a quilting camp it is helpful if you know a bit about the hobby. I do not, but still very much enjoyed the relationships and locations within the story. Clean story, very likable characters, and the story flowed nicely.

THE WORLD’S FAIR QUILT by JENNIFER CHIAVERINI

The quilting retreats at Elm Creek, or even just reading about them, warmed and comforted, reminding me of storytelling weekends, an escape from real-world problems. Of course, the real world still intrudes, with character-building problems, past and present, personal and financial, to challenge the talents and solidarity of the Elm Creek Quilters. Working together, asking for help, figuring things out, and offering encouragement, the good friends make their way. Even if, like me, one doesn’t quilt, the descriptions of process and finished quilts draw the reader into the world of quilters, a fun visit.

This book was an amazing family story. The legend of the quilt was so much fun to read. It was as if I was part of the book during certain parts of the book. I 10/10 recommend! This is a beautiful story about family and love!

This is a dual timeline tale, with the modern storyline taking place in 2004. At Elm Creek Manor, Sylvia and the others are preparing to open their orchard for self-picking, in the hopes of bringing in new revenue, when Summer shows up asking Sylvia for the loan of a quilt that she has only heard about—one that Sylvia made with her sister in 1933. Sylvia’s hesitancy creates the main threads of tension, but they are more personal and less consequential than those in pervious books in this series, which is my only real quibble. In the second timeline we learn of the sisters’ plan to collaboratively make a quilt to enter in a Sears contest reflecting a “century of progress” and hopefully, to be exhibited at the 1933 World’s Fair in Chicago. As always, the emphasis is jointly on American art and history, discussed through quilting, and on the themes of friendship and the “found family” of the Elm Creek quilters. Towards the end of this book there are many plans being made for new projects—ones that longtime fans of this series will look forward to reading about in the next installment. I devoured this book in one day, as I was so excited to be immersed in Chiaverini’s wonderful stories about these characters. Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the ARC and the opportunity to provide an honest review.

Another gentle edition to this long running series about quilts and friendships and history. A must read.

Set during the World's Fair in Chicago in the 1930's. This is part of a series which I did not realize. The author does recap the major characters so could be read as a stand alone. Story of sisters in a dual timeline trying to create a quilt to enter into part of the fair's competition. Wholesome read.

I found this book to be very intriguing. I know very little about quilting, but the story still drew me in. It is a story about relationships and found family. I enjoyed the dual timelines, learning about how "The World's Fair" quilt was designed and the background of the sisters who designed and made the quilt at such a young age and why they were so drawn to enter the competition. It was also interesting reading about present time Sylvia and what she was going through while rediscovering why this quilt meant so much to her.

After reading this book, I will probably go back and ready some of the other Elm Creek Quilt series books because the characters were just so endearing, and I want to spend more time with them.

While this is quite deep in the Elm Creek Quilt series, number 23 to be exact, and some moments had me confused about the connection between characters, I don't think it is necessary to have read the rest of the series to enjoy this one. That said, it probably will be better if you have read them.

I have enjoyed reading just a few of the books in Jennifer Chiaverini's Elm Creek Quilt series. The characters are well-defined and easy to remember. Although this most recent novel, The World's Fair Quilt, is a continuation of the series, it can also stand alone, which increases its appeal for new readers. The World's Fair Quilt is well-plotted, with dual timelines. In 1933, Sylvia is 13 years old. She and her older sister, who is 15, design and sew a quilt they hope will be good enough to be a finalist in a national competition. The winning quilts will be displayed at the World'd Fair in Chicago. Readers learn about the relationship between Sarah and her older sister, Claudia. We also learn a great deal about work involved in designing and creating a quilt, which fits well with so many nicely described locations and events.

The World's Fair Quilt is book 23 in this series. I got started reading this series pretty late, only 3-4 books back. But I have begun buying the books in the series, since after reading The World's Fair Quilt, I wanted to know more about these characters before I met them in the last few years. The contemporary storyline is always well done, with lots of descriptions that work to help readers keep the characters straight.

I do recommend The World's Fair Quilt.. For readers of this series, it will be nice to see the family history unfold. Thank you to publisher William Morrow and NetGalley for providing me with this ARC to read and review. The above is my honest review.

Anyone interested in the 30s and quilting would surely enjoy this novel - I haven't read one of Ms. Chiaverini's books in forever but they're always a delight for bedtime reading. Fun one. Hope she continues to write in this series.

I've long been a fan of the Elm Creek Quilters, but had lost interest in the last few stories. This one renewed my love for the ladies and their series, bringing in a lot of local history but in a way that also kept true to the original characters and continued their stories as well. Sylvia is our leading lady this time - presumably why it's set twenty years go - and we watch as she resolves some childhood issues and also as Elm Creek Manor undergoes another change in its ever-present efforts to stay fiscally afloat amid changing times. As this is something I see regularly here in a rural area, that element was particularly interesting to watch play out in the pages. Overall, my favorite of the newer ECQ books!

I enjoyed this newest addition in the An Elm Creek Quilts Novels and even though it's a stand alone story it's if the books are read in order so the reader doesn't lose to story.

Thank you, Netgalley, for this ARC. I have been reading Jennifer Chiaverini's quilt books since the first one. They only succeed in getting better and better. I loved this one because it wove together the challenges of running the Elm Creek quilt camp and managing a large house against the challenges of the depression and two adolescent girls and their rivalry. Time gives perspective.

Told in alternating chapters from 1933 to present, Sylvia relives making an important quilt with her sister while dealing with the present day problems of running a business. Throughout the book she discovers much about her sister and their relationship

I enjoyed learning more about quilting patterns and meanings, as well as the World's Fair in Chicago. Everything tied together, plot and character wise. An enjoyable series.
Thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for early access to this title.

The latest visit to Elm Creek Quilts finds Sylvia reminiscing to Summer about the quilt she and her sister entered in the World's Fair. Summer wants to add the quilt and accompanying ribbons and historic documents to the exhibit she is curating in town.

The Elm Creek books are always well written, full of quilting history and emotions from the past and present as the Elm Creek Quilters help each other navigate the storms of life. I thoroughly enjoyed The World's Fair Quilt and the visit to Sylvia's past and new look at the relationship with her sister, Claudia.

What a beautiful story this was. I loved the idea of the quilt being passed down from generation to generation. Highly recommend!