Master quilter Sylvia Compson discovers a stash of letters in the attic of Elm Creek Manor and traces a tale back to 1859. An escaped slave, Joanna, spent a brief period at Elm Creek Farm until she was captured and returned to bondage, leaving her son in the care of the Bergstrom family. If Sylvia is to determine the fate of Joanna and her son, she must rely on one important clue-- the meticulous heirloom quilt Joanna stitched and left behind.

For many years, Monday through Friday, Miss Anderson has walked to Parkland School, eager to begin her day's work in her classroom. She is a devoted teacher, beloved by the many children she has taught over the years. The school and her students mean everything to her. After one holiday weekend, Parkland School suffers a devastating flood. Burst pipes send water pouring into classrooms and the library. The school must close for repairs. But it's not...

When Luka's grandmother makes a traditional Hawaiian quilt for her, she and Luka disagree over the colors it should include.

Karla's quilt Mooshka tells her stories about the pieces of fabric that Mooshka is made from, but when Karla's baby sister is born, Mooshka falls silent until Karla overcomes her jealousy and shares Mooshka with the baby.

Chersheng feels sad that his grandfather has Alzheimer's disease, but Grandfather's story cloth keeps alive his memories of his life in Laos before war forced the family to immigrate to America. Chersheng decides to create his own art project to honor his family's new life and their enduring love.

Meditating on the weddings she has attended in Elm Creek Manor throughout the years on the morning of her daughter's wedding day, Sarah McClure evaluates the symbolic features on a wedding quilt designed to display the signatures of beloved guests.

Worried that the coming of a new baby and her grandmother's serious illness will change the warm familiar life on her family's Vermont farm, ten-year-old Ariel combines her artistic talent with her grandmother's knowledge to make a very special quilt.

"Christmas should be celebrated with family, but for Vera Swanson, that's not an option this year. Widowed and recently relocated, she is lonely in her condo-for-one--until little Fiona Albright knocks on her door needing help. With her mother seriously ill and her father out of town, Fiona enlists Vera's aid, and when she finds out her new neighbor is a quilter, she has special request--a Christmas quilt for Mama. Vera will have to get a ragtag group...

Esme Cahill thinks she has failed spectacularly: fired from her New York City publishing job, divorced from her husband, and possessing little more than a broken-down car and a pile of unfinished manuscripts, she drives home to Asheville at the request of her late grandmother, Adele, who had begged her, just before she died, to return to the place she grew up. There she discovers the once-charming lakeside retreat run by her family is sliding toward...