I did not realize this was part of a big series, so thats my fault! If I had read the previous books, I would hzve enjoyed this even more. I absolutely loved Sylvia & Claudias story from 1933. It was interesting, different, and i love learning something new. The 2004 stories were good, but again, if I had read the back stories it would be even better. But overall, a good book!

I always enjoy a story that brings in historical aspects pertaining to the topic. This was done by this author in one particular way where she brings in the context Sears put on. Years ago. I enjoyed the characters of this book as well as the overall story.
Thanks for the advanced copy to NetGalley and the publisher.

This was a relaxing, enjoyable book to read while sipping iced tea on summer days too hot to go outside. I loved the characters and their relationships with each other. The dual timeline made for an interesting story. Thanks #NetGalley #WilliamMorrow

I read “The Museum of Lost Quilts” and enjoyed it - for the most part. I approached The Word’s Fair Quilt” with an appreciation of the art of quilting, the previous relationships and the history of Elm Creek Manor and the Bergstrom Family. This quickly dwindled with the slow placed and often repetitive thoughts and sentiments. I soldiered on but at 40% I put it down. The writing was fine, the concept was solid, the thoughts and emotions lost me - the ‘should I or not, would I or not, will I or not” - Realizing I really didn’t care I put it in the column of “not for me” and a DNF .


I want to thank HarperCollins and NetGalley for allowing me the copy to sample.

This is a great book for fans of historical fiction though unfortunately I was new to the series and felt a little lost.

This was a very interesting book about Q u I l t. The author went back in time to explain how this QUL IT was made.
By these two sisters. It also wasn't the future as well. Story When this woman named summers who was part of EOM Creek.
Q UIL. T. Society. She wanted a showcase this, Q u I T.
Which one's in the sear Contest Which was called century of progress.
For the chicago world fair in nineteen thirty eight. There was prize money for this and the sisters really need to keep a farm going. They're spent how the quilt was made and how the family helped them as well. They told a story of her mothey'r Who left New York? To Pennsylvania to get married.. I The Sisters Took first place First round They also went to the fair I in Chicago. It was a great book and showed how things could change every time.

This book is an enjoyable mix of historical fiction, characters I already know and enjoy, and quilts ! I have made many quilts but have been in remission for over 10 years without any new quilts made. That is a sad state of affairs when I visited with Sylvia again and Elm Creek Quilts in this book. I have read other books in this series and it almost feels like a quilt retreat picking up this book.

I enjoyed reading about Sylvia and her sister, Claudia. I love how quilting together was a way to deepen their relationship. Sisterhood can be a frustrating but sometimes rewarding relationship to navigate. I love when Sylvia reminisces and realizes she was focusing on negative memories for too long. She learns to love, and offer herself the grace of forgiving her sister and herself. Heartwarming and cozy like a homemade quilt.

Quilts are an art form and reading about when Sylvia and her sister were young and entered a quilt in a world's fair, is inspiring.

The World’s Fair Quilt by Jennifer Chiaverini is the twenty-third book in The Elm Creek Quilts series. I could not wait to dive into this story, so I could catch up with Sylvia and the other Elm Creek Quilters. I like that the author gives readers a little refresher at the beginning since it has been a beat since the last book in the series. A quilt from Sylvia’s past stirs up memories from 1933. The dual timeline (1933 and 2004) was well done. The author has a gift for weaving history with character narratives. I can tell that the author did her research regarding the Chicago World’s Fair, especially regarding the Sears National Quilt Contest. Her vivid descriptions allowed me to envision the Century of Progress Exposition as well as the beautiful quilt (it makes me want to quilt). This series has wonderful characters. They are developed and realistic. I like that their emotions pour forth from the pages. I enjoyed getting to know more about Sylvia and her relationship with her sister, Claudia. Forgiveness, sibling rivalry, resilience, reconciliation, family, and friendship are some of the themes in The World’s Fair Quilt. The World’s Fair Quilt is a story stitched with love, and, as we learn, every stitch tells a story.

This is a great series and I love reading about the family. I liked the historical aspect of this book.

This was an endearing novel that makes one want simpler times. This is my first "Quilt" novel and I enjoyed it. I will be looking for another of this series. One has to love the cast of characters that work to keep the quilt camp business alive. There are a few storylines going on at once but they blend well with the overall story. The author gave enough background information so one did not feel lost if this is the first book you have read in the series.

I loved learning the history behind the quilt contest that Sears hosted. The author obviously did some research and brought this minor part of history alive. I wish I could have seen all of those quilts! I recommend this book to those that enjoy a light read with day to day drama. I have read other books from this author but will seek out more from this series. Thank you Netgalley for the chance to review this book.

Author Jennifer Chiaverini continues to be weave several storylines into this ongoing Elm Creek Quilters. While featuring a few of the original Elm Creek Quilters while weaving another pattern as the head of the Elm Creek Manor, Sylvia, faces some financial challenges and Sarah, her longtime financial manager, and husband, Jeff, oversees the orchards on the property. Another original quilter with the group asks Sylvia for permission to showcase a quilt in town: a quilt Sylvia hasn’t seen for years and one that disturbs her because it brought terrible memories of the fights she and her deceased sister had during the design and construction of a quilt for the 1933 Columbia Exposition-otherwise known as the Chicago World’s Fair. This is a read for anyone in just a wonderful story regardless if you have followed this series or a newcomer. The notes about the idea for this quilting contest at the 1933 Fair is a story into itself. I seriously recommend this book of the Elm Creek Quilters. Thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow and author Jennifer Chiaverini for an ARC of this book; my recommendation is enjoy this novel with its historical background.

Jennifer Chiaverini’s The World’s Fair Quilt is a gentle, historically rooted novel that weaves themes of sisterhood, legacy, and resilience into the fabric of its narrative. As my first introduction to Chiaverini’s work, I appreciated her warm, accessible prose and the way she blends quilting history with personal reflection. The story follows Sylvia Bergstrom Compson, now in her eighties, as she revisits a long-forgotten quilt made with her sister for the 1933 Chicago World’s Fair. The novel’s strength lies in its nostalgic tone and its celebration of women’s contributions to art and history, particularly through quilting as both craft and storytelling.

However, the pacing felt uneven at times, and the emotional stakes, while heartfelt, didn’t always land with the impact I hoped for. The dual timelines and reflective structure occasionally slowed the momentum, and some character arcs felt underdeveloped. Still, for fans of quiet, character-driven stories with a strong sense of place and history, this installment in the Elm Creek Quilts series offers a comforting read. While it didn’t fully captivate me, it left me curious to explore more of Chiaverini’s work.

The World's Fair Quilt is #23 of Jennifer Chiaverini's Elm Creek Quilts series which has grown on me. . .many of the books have two timelines and this is one that has Sylvia Bergstrom (last surviving owner of the Elm Creek Manor) at two different times of her life.

First we read of a graciously aging Sylvia, although still rather grumpy about techy stuff. She comes home to the "home" of the series - Elm Creek Manor, to solve problems with the old home place as they prepare to commercialize it into a quilt retreat - and that old place needs updating in all the ways of progress. Over generations (there are at least 3 generations in the characters of this book) progress has changed mightily!

At the heart of it is the second timeline set in 1933, revealing her prickly relationship with Claudia, her older sister. A notice falls into their hands that has an award that is irresistible! They work with their family's elder quilters as they collaborate on answering the national call for quilters to enter their own representations of a "Quilt of Progress" to show at the Chicago World's Fair of 1933.

Definitely in the cozy category, but weight added for historical layers, and family engagements full of conflict, sibling rivalries, compassion, regret, forgiveness and mind changing. Recommended to those who like a light read filled with needles, thread, design and fabric.

BONUS: Singer Featherweights are herein mentioned! (another obsession of mine. . .who of you have painted featherweights?????)

*A sincere thank you to Jennifer Chiaverini, William Morrow, HarperAudio, and NetGalley for an ARC to read and review independently.*

I LOVE a dual timeline and I loved both of these stories. I haven't read any of the rest of the series but I still was able to figure out who everyone was and what was going on. Super cute, easy read.

Jennifer Chiaverini never lets me down. I haven't read the previous quilting books but I enjoyed this one and appreciated the recaps.

I was a little nervous jumping into a series for the first time at Book 23, but Chiaverini makes the reader feel like she’s been with the characters from the beginning. There were only a couple of things I wondered about while reading, and my answers were quickly found just by reading the previous books’ summaries.

Sylvia grew up at Elm Creek Manor, but a disagreement with her sister forced her to flee her home and her dream of running the manor and thoroughbred farm that her father had started. When she returns home due to her sister’s death, she has to find a way to bring the manor out of debt. She brings in a younger couple, Matt and Sarah, and allows their new ideas to bring the farm out of debt, including opening an orchard.

The novel begins in 2004, with the opening of the orchard approaching. Sylvia, in her 80s, is a bit old school. She isn’t used to some of the new ideas that Matt and Sarah have, but she tries to go along with the hope that their ideas will bring in enough money to replace the leaking roof. Sarah and Sylvia are also planning their upcoming Quilt camps for the many quilters who converge on Elm Creek Manor for a week of quilting.

As Summer Sullivan is working on the historical quilt display at the local Union Hall, her visit to pick up the World’s Fair quilt forces Sylvia to flashback to 1933 when she and her sister worked together to create a Quilt of Progress for the 1933 World’s Fair in Chicago. As the story unfolds, long-buried feelings of resentment and hurt are brought to the forefront of Sylvia’s mind along with regret and nostalgia.

This dual-timeline story takes readers back to the Great Depression on a thoroughbred farm in Pennsylvania. Two families live together at Elm Creek Manor to help each other, and two teen girls are trying to make a quilt with dreams of winning the contest to save their family farm. The two storylines mimic each other as Sylvia, now the matriarch of the farm, is hoping an orchard will help them earn enough money to keep the manor open.

“The muslin center rectangle of each block was inscribed with a name, the names and penmanship unique to each block. The ink had faded away long ago and, in some places, had deteriorated the muslin fabric, but the black embroidery over each signature remained.”

I only knew Jennifer Chiaverini for her stand-alone historical fiction, but her Elm Creek Quilt series is wildly popular among quilters and readers alike. As the daughter and sister of quilters (I didn’t get the quilting gene), I was taken back to my own childhood of sitting underneath the quilt frame at our country church and pushing the needles up to the women sitting around the quilt. I even have inherited a quilt similar to one mentioned in the book, with embroidered signatures of all the women and their families who worked on the quilt.

Setting is important to Chiaverini, whether she is describing the orchard with the smell of apples about to be picked, or at Elm Creek Manor while Sylvia and her sister are poring over ideas for their quilt design, or walking into Sears’ Hall at the World’s Fair and seeing all of the winning quilts hanging up for viewing. I could imagine each of these scenes in my mind, including the various quilt designs that Sylvia and Claudia viewed.

This book is based on the real 1993 Chicago World’s Fair, where Sears, Roebuck & Co. sponsored a National Quilt Contest for the fair, offering a $1,000 grand prize and an additional $200 for quilts depicting the theme of the Century of Progress. In 1933, $1,000 was a lot of money, especially for a struggling farm, and Sylvia and Claudia dreamed of winning the grand prize money. Eventually, this particular quilt drove a wedge in their relationship and was the last time the two of them would ever work together on anything.

“If only she and Claudia had not squandered so many opportunities to be kind to each other, to be tolerant and forgiving, to admit their mistakes and reconcile—”

Aside from the sister story and history of the World’s Fair, I found myself nostalgic for simpler times of quilting and the joy of a family taking an adventure of a lifetime by riding the train to Chicago and spending a few days at the Chicago World’s Fair. I remembered days of excitement when the Sears catalog would arrive in the mail, especially the Christmas edition, and how exciting it would be to order something from the catalog, only to arrive soon in our mailbox. Sears was the original Amazon and way ahead of its time.

If you grew up with a mom or grandma who quilted or loves the story of a family coming together to save a farm, then this might just be the story for you. Even though I enjoyed the World’s Fair timeline more, I still connected to the more present-day story of a group of people finding ways to change and adapt to the times and keep their business relevant. Several of Chiaverini’s stand-alone novels were already on my list, and I look forward to reading more from her.

The Elm Creek Quilt series is meant to be enjoyed by anyone who quilts and anyone who enjoys quilts. It is a warm and cozy series with recurring characters, set in an idyllic Pennsylvania town. One of the most intriguing aspects of the series would have to be the quilts themselves. And with that in mind, this book does not disappoint.
Told in a dual timeline sequence, we follow Sylvia and Claudia as they create an award winning quilt for the Worlds Fair. We also reconnect with Sylvia in modern times as she struggles to keep her beloved family estate afloat.
Much emphasis is given to quilt patterns, techniques, and the women who have created them through the generations.
That being said, many parts of the book dragged for me. I have read and loved all the books in this series but this one did not draw me in.
Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for the ARC of The World's Fair Quilt by Jennifer Chiaverini.

Like many other readers, I think I've read almost all of the Elm Creek series. And I'm a quilter, so I do love them. This latest addition is very welcome and I'm sure it will be well-received.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advance copy of this book. It's a winning series!

The story centers on Sylvia Bergstrom Compson, who, facing financial challenges at Elm Creek Manor, is prompted to revisit a quilt she and her sister Claudia created for the 1933 Chicago World's Fair. This quilt, emblematic of progress with depictions of the Emancipation Proclamation, women's suffrage, and labor unions, becomes a conduit for exploring past grievances and the potential for reconciliation.

Overall, The World's Fair Quilt is a poignant addition to the Elm Creek Quilts series, celebrating the bonds that tie us together and the healing that can come from revisiting the past.

I've read all of the ELM CREEK QUILTERS books and this one follows the pattern as of there is a template. Quaint and perfect college town in an idyllic pastoral setting where good triumphs over evil. I found the writing to be overly expository throughout the book's entirety and strangely specific in some instances. For example, did we need to know exactly what kind of tea Sylvia was brewing before she sat down in her favorite booth to talk on her cordless phone? While reading this installment, I came to the conclusion that I have graduated from being able to enjoy this series; a significant proportion of THE WORLD'S FAIR QUILT was spent clueing in readers who picked it up as their first introduction to the story. This resulted in not much new material or new plot lines. I'm also having a hard time believing quilting is such a draw that Elm Creek Manor could employ multiple people and stay solvent. Like I said, I realized I have aged-out of being able to enjoy yet another rehash of Utopian Elm Creek.

In the end, everything works out and everyone gets along swimmingly - the orchard is a big success, the roof expense is miraculously covered by a quilt-loving celebrity, and Sylvia realizes she did right by hiding the judges' cruel feedback from her sister all those years ago.

I appreciate the advanced copy and realize this will be a much more pleasant and meaningful read to someone else.