The New York Timesbestseller celebrates one of America's most romantic and enduring traditions As her daughter's wedding day approaches, Sarah McClure reflects upon Elm Creek brides past and present-the traditions they honored, the legacies they bequeathed, the wedding quilts that contain their stories in every stitch. Unexpectedly, Caroline confides, "I wish I had a wedding quilt, one I made myself." Sarah yearns to grant her fervent wish, but even the most talented novice would be daunted by the task of stitching a worthy symbol of union in the scant days left before the wedding. Turning to her cherished friends, the Elm Creek Quilters, Sarah asks them to pool their creative gifts with Caroline's. As the women stitch, their memories render a vivid pastiche of family, friendship, and love in all its varieties.