The World of Sewing Fiction

Looking for something to read?  There are over 30 fictional novels revolving around sewing.  Here are a few to whet your appetite.

Add a comment below if you have another book to suggest.

Jennifer Chiaverini is a historical fiction bestselling New York Times author best known for the “Elm Creek Quilts” series in addition to several collections of quilt patterns that were inspired by her novels. Some of Chiaverini’s quilt designs have been featured in “Quilt,” “Country Woman,” “Quiltmaker’s 100 Blocks Volumes 3-5,” while her short fiction has been featured in “Quilters Newsletter” and “Quiltmaker.”  Her debut novel was “The Quilter’s Apprentice,” which she published in 1999 that became the first of the “Elm Creek Quilts” series. The novels have been described as effective in capturing the texture of life for white and black, rich and poor women during the time periods in which they are set. She currently lives with her husband and two children in Madison, Wisconsin.  From 1999 to 2019 she has published 23 novels, 2 short story collections and 5 non-fiction books which are about the Elm Creek Quilts.  

The Paris Seamstress by Natasha Lester.  1940:  As the Germans advance on Paris, young seamstress Estella Bissette is forced to flee everything she has ever known.  She’s bound for New York City with her signature gold dress, a few francs and a dream:  to make her mark on the world of fashion.  Present Day:  Fabienne Bissette journeys to the Met’s annual gala for an exhibit featuring the work of her ailing grandmother – a legend in women’s fashion design.  But as Fabienne begins to learn more about her beloved grandmother’s past, she uncovers a story of tragedy, heartbreak, and family secrets that will dramatically change the course of her own life.  

A Single Thread by Tracy Chevalier.  Set in the 1930s, A Single Thread follows the story of Violet Speedwell, one of the many “surplus women” unable to marry due to a shortage of men after the First World War. Violet is headstrong and independent, determined to forge her own path and leave her own mark on the world — however, at 38, she is considered too old by much of society. She takes a job working as a typist in Winchester and becomes involved in a group of women, the Winchester Broderers, who provided the cathedral with embroidered seat cushions and kneelers.

In Women of the Silk Gail Tsukiyama takes her readers back to rural China in 1926, where a group of women forge a sisterhood amidst the reeling machines that reverberate and clamor in a vast silk factory from dawn to dusk.  Leading the first strike the village has ever seen, the young women use the strength of their ambition, dreams, and friendship to achieve the freedom they could never have hoped for on their own. Tsukiyama’s graceful prose weaves the details of “the silk work” and Chinese village life into a story of courage and strength.