As Elm Creek Quilt Camp opens for a brand-new season, for the first time there will be new faces on the faculty. Quilters have flocked to Elm Creek Manor to learn from the master quilter, Sylvia Compson, and her expert colleagues, each of whom specialises in a different aspect of the craft. There's Sarah, Sylvia's onetime apprentice who's paired her quilting accomplishments with a mind for running the business of Elm Creek Quilts; Agnes, who has a gift for applique; Gwen, who stitches innovative art quilts; Diane, a whiz at the technicalities of quick-piecing; and Bonnie's encyclopaedic knowledge of folk art patterns. But with two of the original Elm Creek Quilters departing to pursue other opportunities, will the new teachers be able to fill in the gaps created by the loss of Judy's knowledge of special borders and bindings, or Summer's command of historical patterns and hand-dying? In addition to taking on demanding teaching responsibilities, the newcomers face a far more daunting task - to make whole the broken Circle of Quilters...