The Wedding Dress Quilt: A Waxahachie, Texas, Quilt Mystery

by Jeffree Wyn Itrich

Adopted as an infant, art quilter Lisbeth James has no clue about the family waiting for her. After her maternal grandmother dies, Lisbeth inherits the family home and travels to Texas to claim her inheritance. There, she finds long-lost family, a man who makes her heart flutter, a feeling she has not known since the passing of her ex-fiancé, and a hidden treasure—a stunning wedding dress— that inspires her to make an award-winning double wedding ring quilt. Yet beneath her newfound joy, she discovers a stalker and pieces of her past and senses foul play in her ex-fiancé’s seemingly accidental death.

The Wedding Dress Quilt weaves timeless themes cherished by readers of all ages: second chances, finding family, and new love. Lisbeth confronts her deepest fears, embraces life-altering challenges, and uncovers the darkness that follows her to a small town in Texas.

Genres: Mystery

272 pages, Paperback

First published August 25, 2024

About the author

Thank you to everyone who has purchased and bought a copy of my latest book, The Wedding Dress Quilt. I am awed and grateful for the positive response.

Many people have asked if there will be a sequel and/or if there will be a series around the idyllic town of Waxahachie. I can't provide details, per the publisher. What I can tell you is that I am working on something. Keep checking back here as eventually I'll be able to provide info.

Meanwhile, I am still doing book signings around Texas. If you're interested in attending one check out the dates on my blog:
https://jeffreewynawriterslife.blogsp...

Hope that life is giving you cherries and you're happily floating through the holiday season. Till next time....

Jeffree Wyn

Reviews

[Louise M]

The Wedding Dress Quilt by Jeffree Wyn Itrich is a cosy novel that is suitable if you need a few hours mindless rest by the beach. No sex, drugs, or violence. No gripping drama either. The very predictable plot is as described in the title. A woman inherits a house where she finds a wedding dress. She uses the fabric from that to make a prize-winning quilt. The characters are unidimensional and lack interesting features. The antagonist is too predictable. The protagonist is far too shallow. There is no character development, instead merely a retelling of past events. The author is an experienced journalist but only a few chapters demonstrate any advanced writing skills. There are many opportunities within this novel to add drama and personality, to include difficulties and minor setbacks, to tear at the reader's emotions. Sadly, the result is a story that could have been written by a teenager.

[Jennifer]

Read this book for book club. This setting for this book is Waxahachie,Texas and the Dallas/Fort Worth area. It was a good book for our club in that there was much discussion of restaurants and sites in Waxahachie and Fort Worth. (I never realized the Muenster House is in Waxahachie.) We also had a lively discussion on quilts and quilting.

The story was a sweet story - what I would call chick lit. Adopted as an infant, Lisbeth James travels to Waxahachie to claim an inheritance left to her by her birth grandmother. There she meets a large, loving family who greet her warmly. There is also some drama involving the past and the death of her fiancé - and a fanatical boyfriend stalker.

[Rose Anderson]

Lisbeth James, a gifted art quilter, grows up as an adopted child wishing she had siblings and never quite feeling like she belongs. She is waiting to be married but the best man comes to tell her that her fiancé has been killed instantly in a horrible auto accident. The best man takes care of her and gradually becomes very over-bearing.

Then, Lisbeth receives a registered letter informing her that her grandmother in Texas has left her her house in Texas in her will. She didn't even know she had a grandmother. She goes to Texas to claim her inheritance and re-unite with all the family she didn't know she had. Her boyfriend tries to stop her from re-building her life there.

She finds the elaborate wedding dress that her birth mother made and turned it into a quilt.

[Debbie Vetter]

Growing up even when grown up

Lisbeth James is getting married until the police and best man arrive at the church to tell her Scott was killed in a car accident on his way there. The best man starts taking care of her because he was the best man. Then she gets a call telling her a grandmother she didn't know she had left her a house, it's contents and financial support. Having been adopted when she leaves California and goes to Texas she finds out she has a whole family. She's not alone anymore. Unfortunately, the best man doesn't know how to take no for an answer when he asks her to marry him. Great job. Thank you. I really hope there will be a continuation of Waxahachie, Texas , Quilt Mystery.

[Ka]

Jeffree Wyn Itrich's The Wedding Dress Quilt: A Waxahachie, Texas, Quilt Mystery drew me in for two reasons. My book club invited Itrich to attend our July meeting, as she's a local Christian author, and it's set in a town I love. Her sweet little mystery is a well written story, one I'd feel comfortable handing to a teen or young(ish) reader. The mystery is easy enough to solve, but the characters are cute and lovable enough. Definitely a light read, a palate cleanser, if you will between more intense books.

[Suzanne Pixley]

Texas Quilting and small town living

Having lived in or near many small towns in Texas I know the author has captured the real life of small town life with the foods, the city and ranch life, big families, small town atmosphere and even the life on Galveston including the historic district and the famous Cairo's seafood restaurant, the shore line, and features caused by the 2008 hurricane. One can not overlook the quilting information--one of the most important hobbies of Texas woman. A great read for anyone who wants to know more about Texas life.

[Catherine Petry]

The Wedding Dress Quilt

This was truly a great story. I liked all of the characters and love quilting myself. The story was a little difficult to follow at times, especially in the beginning as the passage of time or change of scene was difficult to follow. There were minimal breaks between paragraphs so it was sometimes difficult to know which character was speaking, but, overall, the story was interesting enough to continue reading to the very end.

[Marlyn G.]

Weddings and quilts.

This story is wonderful. As an adoptee in California, she had a love of quilting. The death of her birth grandmother brought her a new life in Texas. A reconnection to that family and discovery of her late fiancé best friend wasn't as she thought it was, made for interesting plot lines.

[Mary Gibson]

This is a delightful book that took me to places that I know in central Texas. I loved the story behind the wedding dress quilt!

[Pat Gwin]

A cozy mystery and fun read.

[Bonnie Collins]

A wonderful book! Loved it

[Diane]

No matter what you can make it!

You can weather the storms of life, with the love of family, belief in yourself and accepting the love of a man's strength & goodness in his soul and willing to share it!

[Zandra R Jackson]

very well written

Very good book, easy to read and included lots of scenery within Texas. I predicted that Dennis killed Scott and also that Emma was in Savannah, GA

[Lauretta6]

Loved it

The story kept my interest. Quilting is my thing and this story was just right. A woman finding a new life and making a quilt from a wedding dress found. Loved it!

[Daryln]

Romantic

Enjoyed reading book. Like a Hallmark movie. Nice break from the text books I have to read. Enjoyed the people too. Know some family members like that.

[Kathleen Carothers]

Being from Central Texas, I enjoyed the setting in Waxahache, Texas. Refreshing to know being adopted, she found and was accepted with open arms by her biological family.

[Karen L Patterson]

Loved the story. Have shared it with my quilting friends. Thank you Jeffree for making me want to come for a visit

[Sherry]

Moving story

What a great story! Not quite “from rags to riches” but the love story was perfection! Fantastic summer read. Now on to book 2.

[Rose]

This cozy mystery is very satisfying, with multiple intrigues keeping the reader's interest.

[Lesa]

Stocking is not fun or cool

[Bonnie Blackledge]

I absolutely loved reading this book I read in two days I couldn’t put this book. I read in paperback.

[Sandi Rosenberry]

Well written

I couldn't put this book down. After quite some time, I finally found a genuinely engaging read. I'd certainly recommend it to any reader.

[Donna Lee]

I really enjoyed this book! Well written, lots of suspense, and got the know the characters almost like friends. Highly recomment - I should note - I live within an hour of Waxahachie, TX - lol

[Carla]

Finished reading this one in one setting. I really like this book. Yes it's about a wedding dress turned into a quilt and so much more. There's love, devastation, lost family, low life scum guy, on and on. I didn't want to put it down. Okay it's a fairytale story of adopted girl who finds her biological family and a handsome cowboy but there's the controlling and questionable guy.
Good read