Stitched

by Eli McCann

A hilarious, heartwarming debut novel about competitive quilting, unlikely friendships, and found family.

"Bursting at the seams with humor and genuinely tender, touching moments."— KIRKUS REVIEWS

Betty Lou Dearden has been a member of the Ogden Quilters Association for more than twenty years when it is announced that the biggest quilting competition in the country is coming to Utah. With the clock ticking and a chance to finally beat their long-time rival quilting circle, the women welcome two young gay men to their group as they bicker their way to an award-worthy entry.

With disarming humor and extraordinary heart, Eli McCann takes listeners deep into the cozy but cutthroat world of competitive quilting and the sometimes-messy friendships that shape our lives.

Genres: Fiction, Audiobook, Contemporary, Humor, LGBT, Book Club, Literary Fiction

8 pages, Audible Audio

First published September 8, 2026

Reviews

[Kristin Tanner · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was so hyped up on social media that I guess I just expected more from it. The premise is great—2 gay men joining a women’s sewing group and spilling ALL the tea. It could have been incredible, but while there were plenty of laugh out loud moments, it still just fell flat.

It felt to me like the men never really belonged in the group. For one, they never even learn to sew. Two, they barely speak any words in the whole book. They just seem to sit back, watch, and report on what they witness. There was basically no point to Rob at all. I thought that when the theme for their competition quilt was announced and had a gay reference to it, they would be the ones to come up with a quilt so clever to help guide this group of old ladies to a championship, but they didn’t even have any suggestions or bring new ideas to the group at all. I guess I pictured a book flowing with conversation…the kind that makes these wary old women fall absolutely in love with their new group members and form a tight bond.

While it had more than enough entertaining moments, and I’d still recommend the book to anyone looking for something a little different, it just felt like one big missed opportunity to turn it into something bigger.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy. All opinions are my own.

[MagretFume · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very cute and heartfelt "slice of life".

I liked that the writing didn't overplay the characters' feelings and didn't rely too much on their personal history, while still being able to make you empathize with them and understand their situation.

If you're in the right mood, this is a good cozy story.

[Ashley V · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a young queer person getting into quilting, I’m absolutely obsessed with this book. The ladies of the Ogden Quilters Association were so fun to get to know, Byron and Rob are a hoot, and I never thought quilting could be so cutthroat. More Golden Girls than Schitt’s Creek, but such a good time!

[Hirondelle (not getting all notifications) · Rating 3 out of 5]

It sounded like a fun idea: two gay men get recruited to join an Utah's women's quilting group to help prepare a quilt for a major competition. I read an interview with the author which made it seem very tempting. I am clearly all ready for these vibes - golden girls, the salon at steel magnolias, the campy bitchy gay gossip, women bonding through crafts and time together.

But it was very underwhelming, it was a great concept but the execution was just not brilliant. On several aspects - the characters can feel bit trope like like they have escaped from Steel Magnolias with varying depth (none to Candice, she is perfect just as she is). The conflict with the other group does not really go anywhere, it did not have to go all Hollywood ending (speaking of which, ah, wanna bet this will be a movie one day?) but there were Chekhov's gun's plot details regarding the organizing that go nowhere (and more unsatisfyingly Patricia gets away with everything when she might not have!). It does not make any sense why the two gay guys even got recruited or what they bring to the table regarding the quilting. Slight hints of a gay romance, where there is basically no interaction at all between them nevermind chemistry. Byron's gossip takes over a lot of scenes, to the detriment of everything else.

And worse of all, the writing. There is a bit where Byron mentions reading about something on Reader's Digest, and I went ah! Because the style reads more like a book "digested", a lot of exposition on the characters' lives and feelings, all tell (in short synthetic writing!) rather than show. A lot of dialogue was also banal.

So, a fun idea that would interest me, occasionally very funny, occasionally charming, like nice details in a quilt, where you just do not like all of it together.

[Linda Galella · Rating 2 out of 5]

Character driven but over troped, STITCHED, by Eli McCann, is his debut novel.

A group of senior quilters from Ogden is trying to prepare for a regional contest to be held in neighboring Smithfield. There’s many years of consternation between the two clubs. Smithfield is usually the winner and Ogden? Well, they try; faithfully.

This year, the Ogden group is desperate for new ideas and some fresh blood for their club. The event is practically in their backyard. When no women are added, a member decides to coerce two gay friends to join in. Neither one has any quilting experience. Sigh…

A theme is declared for the contest and the group finally agrees on a plan to satisfy the contest. Each member will provide a square that supports their single quilt submission.

Women of the Ogden quilting club have been “friends” for decades but for the life of me, I cannot imagine why. This is a group of nasty, snarky women with gripes that go back years. They are mean girls gone Grandma!

Altho’ there are passages devoted to actual quilting, the majority is about these women, their relationships, families and problems. I did not enjoy their company but continued to read, hoping they would grow up. No. Such. Luck. I’m ever so thankful my card club is nothing like them.

The proliferation of expletives is so unnecessary and really made me cringe, especially the divine epithets. IMO, this is incongruous for the audience that might seek to read a quilting novel.

Author, McCann writes a monthly humor column for the Salt Lake Tribune and hosts a podcast called Strangerville. He’s currently got just shy of 150K followers and is getting a bunch of interest on social media. It would have been welcomed for some of his humor to show itself in STICHED.

Unfortunately, this isn’t a book I can recommend but I’m in the minority. Please read some 4-5 star reviews and the publisher’s blurb to see if you’re better suited than I was📚

I received a copy for review purposes. All opinions are honest and mine alone.
Read and Reviewed from a PDF file provided by Publisher’s Weekly, the publisher and author.

[Nettle Reads · Rating 2 out of 5]

"I think your enjoyment of the book will hinge on whether you can believe that the friendship between these women is ultimately -despite the differences and problems- a positive element in their lives."

Thank you to the publisher & NetGalley for the ARC. I was mainly drawn to the book because of the strong themes of craft, friendship and working together towards a shared goal. I thought the premise – a group of elderly quilters taking two gay men under their wing as they work on their show stopper for a bi-annual quilting competition – sounded great. Unfortunately, it didn’t quite live up to my expectations. The interpretations of the themes as well as the focus was different from what I expected. I came to this book without knowing the author, but from the other reviews I can see that he has a strong social media presence, so perhaps if you are already familiar with him, your expectations are better tailored to what the book is.

I thought we would see a group of friends dealing with the struggles and stress of making a show piece for an important quilt competition. However, the main story-line lies instead in the inner social workings of their decades long friendship, and the characters confronting years of resentment, pent up frustrations, passive aggression and clashing personalities, as well as a confrontation with the limitations that aging brings – which just happens to the backdrop of the quilt competition. This shifts the main story from a heartwarming found-family cozy story to an exploration of more heavy topics. Absolutely also a story worth telling, nothing wrong, but worth being aware of before starting.

I think your enjoyment of the book will hinge on whether you can believe that the friendship between these women is ultimately -despite the differences and problems- a positive element in their lives. The book failed to convince me of that, taking the group as a whole at least. Especially considering some of the issues they have with each other go back 30 years. Without this conviction, the book ultimately falls flat.

The crafting aspect is merely a somewhat prominent background to the conversations happening in the story, which happen during ‘quilt nights’ or in the fabric shop. I’m not sure what the group was actually doing during their nights. Until the halfway point I didn’t even know they were machine sewing instead of hand sewing. Which begs the question how these folks could even have so much conversation over the noise of at least 6 sewing machines, but I guess that’s fiction-magic at work.

I enjoyed the characters of the two new recruits, but I had expected more scenes in which they would learn how to quilt, or where they’d provide input on the design – as that is the guise under which they are roped into joining the group-, and at least a couple of scenes where working on the quilt was the focus, but that just wasn’t there. I’m not sure how the men were helpful to the goal of either the longevity of the quilt group or to the quilt competition. In fact, the design process as a whole was underwhelming and confusing. Until about 75% in, you have zero idea what blocks most of the quilters are working on. Perhaps the hodgepodge-ness of the quilt was meant to be a comedic reveal, but I doubt it, as it was telegraphed way earlier in the book. As a crafter, I’m not sure if working on something like this would be very fulfilling. I get that this is part of the message – the whole ‘we each do our own thing but still are a part of a whole’ – but that would have resonated more if the friendship had convinced me in the first place.

There´s also some moral messages that I simply do not agree with. There is a story-line whose point basically amounts to children having a duty to always take care of their elderly parents. One of the characters can be paraphrased as saying that none is too busy to be there for the people who birthed them. I empathically disagree with this, and it surprises me to see this in a queer positive book. I suppose this links to how one views the group of friends: are they a found family because they are so close, or is the friend group like a family in that you have to accept their flaws no matter what.

I also felt uncomfortable with the depiction of the main antagonist. Sure, Patricia is extraordinarily mean and awful. But apart from her meanness and her impeccable crafting skills, the thing that gets mentioned repeatedly is the cosmetic work she’s had done on her face. While I’m no fan of the plastic surgery industry myself, I don’t think that everyone who has had any work done is automatically a black-hearted maleficent. It felt like the oldest trope in the book and somewhat.. misogynist? Likewise, I was not charmed by the incessant pushing of a relationship on the happily unmarried of the elderly ladies.

I thought this book was supposed to be an ode to the craft of quilting, but that’s not what I found inside these pages. Quilts by other groups in the competition were portrayed as comic relief in a way that felt like caricature, which I had hoped the book would subvert instead of encourage. If I weren´t a crafter before, I´m not sure this book would have left me with the feeling that I’d want to become one.

It is a shame as I do think the premise was promising. That said, there were elements that I liked. I liked the queer representation as well as the mutual acceptance between the younger men and older ladies. I liked the humor, especially in the early chapters of the book. I think this book is written from a clear point of love for the real-life people that probably inspired these characters, and that shines through. Also of note: I think the cover design is amazing work.

Many other people did love this book, so if the premise still resonates with you, then go for it. You may like it better than I did.

[Larry H · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love it when books take you to places you’ve never been and expose you to new things. I’ll admit I never thought I’d read a book about the cutthroat behavior around a quilting competition, but this was such fun!

The members of the Ogden Quilters Association are beside itself when they learn that the Simpton Family Quilting Extravaganza will be held in nearby Smithfield, Utah. The competition has never been so close to home before, and they definitely want to make a good showing.

This year’s theme is “I Wish I Knew How to Quilt You: Famous Forbidden Relationships.” With their numbers dwindling due to advanced age (let’s not talk about Terry and the “needle incident “), the OQA is in need of new members. Candace, who owns an empire of fabric stores across Utah, decides to invite her store manager, Byron, and his best friend, Rob, to join.

The addition of two men—albeit gay ones—throws the remaining OQA members into a bit of a tizzy. They’ve never had a man join them before. Do their bylaws even allow it? But it’s not long before they’ve become fully engaged in the gossip, grumbling, and quilting.

As the group focuses on creating the best quilt ever, dynamics within and outside the group threaten its camaraderie. And then word gets out that the Logan Quilters Society, the defending regional champs and an overall menace, are trying to take control of the competition, which sends the group into a frenzy. Can the OQA create a winning quilt, soothe the in-group tensions, and vanquish their nemeses?

This was such a fun and sweet book. It was a beautiful story of found family, friendship, growing older, standing your ground, and realizing what’s most important to you. The characters were so warm—even the curmudgeons—and I just smiled through the whole book.

See all of my reviews at itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com.

Follow me on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/getbookedwithlarry/.

[Angie Miale · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

Stitched is an incredibly sweet, warmhearted story, and on paper it has almost everything I should love: a group of elderly women, competitive quilting, found family, lots of quirky personalities, and two young gay men being welcomed into an unexpected community. Somehow, though, I liked this one more than I loved it.

The story centers on the Ogden Quilters Association, a group of women who take their quilting competitions VERY seriously despite the inconvenient fact that they have never actually won. There are rivalries, disagreements, decades-long grudges, and an impressive amount of knowledge about exactly which quilting groups are their biggest competition. Apparently competitive quilting is far more cutthroat than I ever imagined! And everyone knows you can’t underestimate the Amish.

This year is particularly exciting because the competition is being held locally, and the OQA is determined to finally make its mark. Along the way, the women welcome two young gay men into their group as they create a quilt with the theme “I Just Can’t Quilt You,” inspired by Brokeback Mountain—a movie, hilariously, none of the women have actually seen.

There are so many charming moments throughout the book. One of my favorites involved a woman talking about how she hasn’t been the same since Chuck died. The men naturally assume Chuck was her husband, only to discover that Chuck was her cat. 😂 That kind of gentle humor worked really well for me.

I also loved that Eli McCann narrated the audiobook himself. There is something special about hearing an author perform their own work when they can do it well, and McCann absolutely can. He brings a tremendous amount of heart and emotional depth to these characters.

I was also interested in the story’s exploration of a gay man who grew up in the LDS community and has found a way to make peace with parts of that upbringing while maintaining a loving relationship with his parents. There is a tenderness to the way McCann approaches family, faith, sexuality, aging, and the sometimes-unexpected places where we find community.

And yet…something was missing for me. Readers who follow my reviews know that a book filled with endearing elderly women is practically engineered in a laboratory for me personally. These women were funny and lovable, the premise was delightful, and the story checked so many of my boxes. But for whatever reason, it never quite reached the emotional level I kept waiting for it to hit.

Still, this was a lovely read, and I would absolutely pick up another book by Eli McCann. There is so much warmth in his storytelling, and I can easily imagine Stitched becoming a comfort read for other readers.

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 3.5/5

Stitched was published September 8, 2026.

Thank you to Libro.fm and the Libro.fm ALC program for the gifted advance listening copy!

[T K Nelson · Rating 1 out of 5]

This concept had such promise yet somehow managed to be completely uninteresting. Kept waiting for something to happen. The story simply rambled on. The plot consisted of preparing a quilt for a competition and the very unpleasant disagreements amongst the quilters.

The characters werent funny. Situations weren’t funny. I think Byron and the constant segues in his neverending stories was supposed to be humorous and maybe it was once or twice. Toilets overflowing is not funny.

Betty Lou was oddly the only fleshed out character. She had a job, husband and children. Some of the rest we learned bits and pieces about. Others we learned their names. Details weren’t important. A little more character development and a lot less cabbage sandwiches would have been nice.

The book seemed to be page after page of passive agressive bickering and eye rolling. For a group that got together every week for decades the “friendship” was the thinnest of threads. Speaking of thread, for a book about quilting, there was little to no explanation of technique. The words were there but if you werent a quilter (I am not) the words meant nothing.

[Emilya · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars

I enjoyed reading Stitched by Eli McCann. As a beginner knitter, I don’t know much about quilting, so I found that aspect of the story especially interesting, but what I loved most was the friendship between the older women and the way they always supported one another. Their sense of community and found family was heartwarming.

I also really enjoyed Byron and Rob joining the quilting group. It was fun and sweet to see the women so accepting of the two gay men, and I found myself wishing the story had spent even more time with them because they were such enjoyable characters.

Overall, Stitched is a heartwarming story about friendship, acceptance, and the family we create for ourselves. It left me with a smile and was a lovely read.

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Competitive quilting. Yes, it’s a thing and it’s not for the faint of heart. STITCHED pulls back the curtain and shows what really goes on between the fabric swatches. The lesson here? Don’t mess with quilters. Their needles are sharp and their tongues sharper.

This charming story introduces two gay men to an established group of senior quilters in Ogden, Utah as they prepare for their big quilting competition. I expected quaint cozy, and comical. I was not prepared for cattiness, intrigue, and devious manipulation. Who knew?

This is a combination that immediately piqued my interest. It’s a recipe that’s worked for me countless times and it did here too; except the journey to the magic took a bit longer than expected. The ultimate payoff (or “sparkle” as my reading buddy called it) was there; it simply required patience.

The audiobook is read by the author. Eli McCann does a fine job reading his novel. While his performance may lack some polish, it is balanced by its sincerity.

I came away from STITCHED with a greater appreciation for the craft and a new villain. Patricia, I hope your needles are forever dull and your stitches crooked.

Thank you to @librofm for the gifted audiobook that I paired with my purchased physical copy. Reading with friends made this an enjoyable experience.

[Lisa Huppert · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨ (4.5 stars) rounded up!

This book was an absolute delight and exactly the uplifting read I needed. Who knew a story centered around competitive quilting could be so entertaining?

The Ogden Quilting Association (OQA) is made up of six elderly women who are looking to recruit new members after losing a couple from their ranks—one due to the infamous “needle incident,” which is hilariously never fully explained. Their search leads them to welcome two younger gay men into the group despite neither of them knowing the first thing about quilting. There’s Byron, who lives for the gossip, and Rob, the quiet, observant artist. Their personalities couldn’t be more different, and watching them become part of the OQA was one of my favorite parts of the story.

While quilting provides the backdrop, this is really a story about friendship, found family, and the people who show up for one another. It’s about trust, companionship, and finding a place where you belong.

The rivalry between the OQA and the quilting group from Logan adds another layer of fun, giving readers a delightfully easy villain to root against throughout the competition.

This was such a cozy, heartwarming read filled with humor, lovable characters, and plenty of charm. I genuinely hope this isn’t the last we see of the OQA. I’d happily return for another book filled with their quilting competitions, antics, and the continued stories of this wonderful found family.

Thank you NetGalley for the advanced reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Veronica Wexler · Rating 1 out of 5]

Anecdotes do not make a book

If you can imagine writing down in detail the minutiae of an average day you would have this book. And it is equally riveting. Ignore the hype AND this book.

[Dorothy C. · Rating 2 out of 5]

SPOILERS MAY BE INCLUDED IN THIS REVIEW. Consider yourselves warned.

I wanted to love this book. I had such high hopes for it. Since I started quilting in 1986, I have been a member of more quilt guilds than I can count (I moved five times between 2002 and 2022), worked in a quilt store for five years, and have dozens of quilting friends. I’ve made hundreds of quilts. I’ve been to at least ten very large, national quilt shows in four states. So I’ve got lots of quilt credibility. But Mr. McCann portrays the quilters in his novel as adversaries, unable to get along with other quilters in a nearby guild. I am not saying that those kind of quilters don’t exist, but my fear is that people who read this book will think that this kind of behavior is far more prevalent than it actually is. And I’ve never heard of a group that required people to fill out paperwork to apply to be a member - each org I’ve been in happily accepts anyone who pays membership dues.

Beyond the misrepresentation of quilting friendships, he writes about a local show that has the judges doing the judging in the last hour of a weekend quilt show. Whatever gave him the idea that this is how judging is done?! Judging takes place the day (maybe two days) before the show is open to the public. That way when the show opens, the ribbons are attached to the quilts and the attendees can see which ones won in their respective categories. And judges do NOT meet with anyone who worked on the quilt. To take the chance that they’d be influenced one way or another by someone whose hands worked on a quilt they are judging is just never possible. Judging rules and guidelines would not allow that. Anywhere. No matter what.

A quilt shop in the book has a kitchen and they prepare cookies to put out for customers and employees. But there’s no mention of having napkins or a sink where people can wash their hands before they touch anything that is for sale in the shop, Sugary, crumbly fingers near fabric that is about $14 a yard? No no no no NO. Food anywhere near the goods for sale in the store is just not allowed. (We ate in the back of the shop I worked in at a tiny table, and only one employee at a time because the others were with customers. I don’t think we had drinks - even water - near merchandise.

People can have their differences when it comes to many hobbies - quilters are no different. But in the hundreds of women I’ve met who are quilters, every single one is the kind that would do anything for another quilter and fully support them in every way, shape or form. And if I had a friend with whom I had a difference of opinion, and he or she was not answering a phone call or a text, I would not let four months go past before I finally went in person to talk to that friend. It’s inconceivable to me that a true friend might not try to talk to me if it had been that long since we connected.

The book is not completely without merit. I just wish Mr. McCann had done far more research and learned about the strong, creative and supportive people who make up the quilting population in the USA (and beyond). The concept of his book had so many possibilities, but I fear he squandered his chances to have a resonant and powerful story to tell about quilters to share with the world.

[Rachel · Rating 4.5 out of 5]

Dit was geweldig, zo genoten! Ik heb hardop gelachen en het was lief en zacht tegelijkertijd. Gewoon even een ongecompliceerd kneuterig verhaal. Een heerlijk clubje om even tijd mee te spenderen. Ik hoop dat wij er over 50 jaar ook nog steeds zo bijzitten. Erg fijn!

P. 50 “I always believe in giving credit where credit is due.”

P. 70 “Shit problems are just that, and it’s no use to smile through them.”

P. 113 “All she would ever want was reassurance that she was a good person.”

P. 202 “It was an inconvenient truth she felt forced to learn recently that maybe no one really knows who they are - not really - until they see themselves in the middle of a world that is crumbling down around them. For Betty Lou, that world-crumbling had the effect of peeling away all her outer layers, of showing her what was left at the most vulnerable point of her core, which she thought seemed small and bare. Maybe this was true for everyone, but Betty Lou had discovered over three painful months that her outer shell was not equipped to absorb the impact of unusual struggle.”

P. 278 “But quilting has never been the reason I show up on Wednesday nights - just the excuse.”

P. 281 “Year after year, I’ve watched my friends go, and the older I get the more I think we don’t really mourn these losses enough. Shouldn’t they affect us the most because the holes they leave are the deepest since they spent so many years digging them?”

[Beth Given · Rating 4 out of 5]

Betty Lou is a longtime member and current chair of the Ogden Quilters Association, and now that a big quilting competition is being held in Utah for the first time, she's determined to make this year's quilt entry a smashing success. Unfortunately, the other members of the OQA don't seem to have the same dedication to the project. Leera, the oldest in the group, has lost her filter and bickers constantly with Betty Lou. Lucy, while sweet, is a bit dense -- but who has the nerve to tell her that her proposed cross stitch square is totally off-theme? Diane is sharp and down-to-earth, but she's got her hands full with Alice, who's losing her hearing and possibly her mind. Candace is kind and capable, but she's invited two gay men from Salt Lake to join the OQA (isn't that against the bylaws? Can they even sew??). With the stress of the competition -- and the pressures of taking care of her family -- Betty Lou just might be unraveling at the seams.

This book was a lot of fun. Told through multiple POVs, we get to spend a lot of time with these endearing characters. I love how they each had such different personalities. There are plenty of books out there starring senior citizens, but its usually only one per book; this one has a whole cast of them.

Lots and lots of humor. Lots and lots of heart. I really liked this book and devoured it in a weekend.

The audio was done by the author. I really love Eli McCann, but gosh, I wish this could have been done by a full cast!


Quite a lot of mild language (mostly damn and hell, but I think also some instances of sh*t, ass, and the Lord's name in vain. NO f-bombs.)


Thanks to libro.fm for the ALC.

[Shelby · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was made in a lab for me! Quilting, gays, Brokeback Mountain, and even an Omaha shoutout.

[Ashley Shea · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a perfectly pleasant book, but the middle dragged so hard I just couldn't finish it. I got to 66% and started reading other reviews that said it was just going to be more of the same. It was much more about the older ladies than the young, dynamic gay men who joined their group. The way this was pitched (I saw McCann's reel promoting it) was hilarious, but I think the problem is the kind of content he pitched is great in small doses, but I did not thoroughly enjoy an entire book of it. Also, some of the old lady gossip felt mean or really depressing at times. I appreciate that McCann really wanted to make this a deeply introspective look into the... stuff that comes along with getting older, but... yeah, it just kinda made me sad about old age. I wanted to laugh at old ladies bickering and gay men spicing up their lives. Either the book should have been shorter, or funnier.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for an ARC in exchange for an honest review

[Debbie Jeske · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was surprised how much drama! But a fun quilter-related story, and I think everyone learned some good lessons. Appreciated listening to the book read by the author and LOVE the cover art by Victoria VanderLaan.

[Kunni Biener · Rating 1 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this book. I pre-ordered it and got it at least 3 weeks before I expected it. (and Goodreads says it is not out yet, although the author has posted pics of him signing copies to be sent out, I got mine from Bookstore). there is just no there, there. The characters are so flat. The personalities, what little they have, are stereotyped and no physical description is given so I couldn't begin to imagine them. The two male characters are finally said to be boyfriends in the very end, but they showed no affection to each other. The plot was so thin and uninteresting. One of the quilters left the group because of The Needle incident, but it was never explained. What happened? Two others lived together, were they friends or something more? They had little to no backstories and no depth. At the end it seemed that the moral of the story was they all wanted friends not winning quilts. Having been in a stitching group for just over 30 years (COVID moved us to online, and while it continues, it is not the same) I call bullshit on that. We are friends and we compete. We want to improve our skills and win ribbons and we lovingly tease each other when one of us beats another of us. And I am an old lady, like most of the characters in this book. And I want to improve my skills and continue to make friends. Honestly, the book was just boring. Even taking place in Utah, a place I don't consider to be very interesting, it was uninspired. What a disappointment.

[MrsHarvieReads · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to Librofm and Torrey House Press for a gifted listeners copy of Stitched by Eli McCann in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

Stitched is a dramatic comedy featuring competitive quilters in Utah. The story follows a group of long term female friends who hesitantly invite two gay men into their inner circle, in order to inject new energy and ideas into their annual sewing competition. I really wanted to love this found family story, but never felt a deep sense of connection to the characters. It worked as a palate cleanser for me with several funny moments and a rival quilter who was fun to hate.

The audiobook is narrated by the author himself. And although he may not be a professional voice actor, he brought sincerity to his story. Ultimately I enjoyed the initial idea behind the book, but the story just needed a bit more magic to truly capture my heart 3/5⭐️

[Angee · Rating 3.5 out of 5]

3.5 but I'll go ahead and round it up to 4 stars since I really liked Lyra.

[Eve · Rating 4 out of 5]

"I'm sorry, Chuck is a cat?!"

The strength of this book is first and foremost its humor. I often find books funny, but usually not enough to make me laugh out loud, only smile. This book had more laugh-out-loud moments than I could count. Who knew that old lady sewing circles could be such fertile ground for humor? I loved all of the intense politics around preparations for the SFQE, the strict bylaws of the Ogden Quilters Association, and the introduction of Rob and Byron as newcommers watching all the drama unfold, popcorn in hand. There were so many running gags, but my favorite was the Chuck-is-a-cat reveal, ha! McCann knows how to end a chapter.

I picked up this book because I love the author's stories about his life on tiktok. Not just the content, but the particular way he's able to spin a tale is really engaging. He has this really dry but dramatic tone (not a good descriptor, idk how to describe it.) But anyway, as I suspected, it translated really well to the longer book format. He also narrated the audiobook, which I understand from the publisher's perspective when one of the main draws is the author, but I find this can be very hit or miss. Let's get a professional in here, am I right?

But McCann knocked it out of the park. The narration was in that same dry tone usually uses on tiktok, but still it was imbued with lots of emotion when the moment called for it. It suited the writing style really well. I mean, it might seem obvious that the tone would fit when the author/narrator is the same person, but you really never know. I also really loved his old lady voices. Sometimes men voicing women can drift into charactature, but I felt he toed the line well- heightening it for comedic effect (especially with Lyra) while still staying realistic and respectful.

One of my favorite parts of this book was the emails that began each part, most of which were about preparations for the SFQE. Everyone with that faux politeness trying to hide their annoyance and superiority complexes, lol. Read by a different narrator those sections could have had a different feel, but McCann's forceful almost-but-never-quite yelling voice augmented the subtext of the written word into something even more entertaining. Machinations above the main characters' purview about town elegibility to host or maintenance problems in venues may seem immaterial, but I swear these were some of the funniest threads.

This was also at some points more somber than I had bargained for. Betty Lou was such a well rendered character, even as you didn't agree with her decisions and how she handled things, you can so see where she's coming from. I knew there would probably be some tension in the group that they would have to resolve and become stronger from, but it was very thoughtfully and deeply handled. It wasn't shrugged off to make more room for the comedy, this was the real meat of the story (maybe so much so that it's to the book's detriment, but we'll get into that later.)

My one real structural issue with this book is the relative non-importance of Rob and Byron. This book was pitched to me as (and is certainly set up as in the first few chapters) the story of two younger gay men joining a quilting circle of older women. I assumed that their integration into the group would be rocky but ultimately rewarding with laughs along the way. Instead the narrative entirely skirts over them to focus on Betty Lou. There's some initial tension when they first show up, but then they accept them in and all get along fine.

Like okay?? But where's the story. And because we never really got the process of them melding into the group, they remain outsiders. They never build any new emotional connections with any specific women of the group. Neither of them ever learned how to sew (and if there's a book that takes sewing seriously, it's this one). They're just... there.

So that begs the question... why write them at all? Perhaps it's because McCann is unconfident in his ability to write from a perspecitve outside himself. Because truly it's a bait and switch where he uses Rob and Bryron to get into the story as main characters, but then summarily relegates them to the side as Betty Lou's arc comes into bloom. It's just odd. I felt sometimes that he was writing from his own perspective to his own detriment. Why are there so many characters and so little diversity?

I did think he did a good job of differentiating each woman. It would probably be easy to make them all blend together. They have similar interests and the same goal. But each character is inherently different from eachother in ways that cannot be encapsulated by short descriptions like "the older one," "the one who owns the store." They had complex interpersonal drama that demanded each person be fleshed out as a whole human with distinict relationships. The friendship between Betty Lou and Lyra in particular was the most interesting to me.

Also, the whole idea of the quilt was so funny to me. This whole time it's literally a disaster in progress and nobody is acknowledging it. What do you mean you're just going to stitch separate panels and then mash them together? It was obviously never going to work! And I felt crazy for thinking this when the narrative validated them! But then in the end after the SFQE is done and they're staring at it and they're like "...actually, this is kinda ugly" I laughed SO HARD. Of course McCann knew what he was doing.

Overall, so glad I read this! I was initially hesitant because I had no idea if it would be available through any of my library apps, but hoopla came in clutch. Would definitely recommend this on audio; it totally heightened the whole reading experience. I'm excited now to watch some more of Eli's tiktoks about the press tour and the book, I know he based it partially on a real experience he had joining his mother's quilting circle. Happy to glean any more tidbits!

[Nancy McFarlane · Rating 3.5 out of 5]

A fun, but also serious look at friendship, crafting, and the very real drama that goes on in a quilting guild (and most any guilds with a majority of women as members) getting ready for a major competition.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

A sweet story of a quilters club. Enjoyed the audiobook especially since the author, Eli McCann, reads it. He is funny.

[Mercedes Petrino · Rating 4 out of 5]

I LOLd, had tears in my eyes, and felt all the feels during this one. This is deeply character driven, as not much really happens throughout the story, but still gets to the heart of the drama. It’s based on a longstanding quilting society on Utah that has beef with a fellow quilting group the town over. This group of geriatric women face some serious drama when they enter an annual quilting competition and are forced to cooperate with their arch enemy quilters to bring this competition together. Calamity ensues when new quilters join the group (males! 🫢) , temperatures boil over with longstanding members of said group leave & well, what’s quilting club without a little sabotage?? Who knew a bunch of old ppl had such drama!! Themes of aging and death, mental health struggles, friendship, found family and a little bit of chaos sprinkled in there. 4/5 ⭐️

[Amber Prusse · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was cute! Nothing deep or mind blowing. But I do see this being a cute show and I do love all those ladies!

[Beppie · Rating 3 out of 5]

It is sometimes said that friendship oftimes brings together a very diverse, interesting, unexpected, loyal, and indeed strange set of bedfellows.

It is only fitting, then, that "Stitched" by Eli McCann is about a group of quilters who not only fit this definition but are also stitched, as it were, to one another by their friendship... as well as their love.

Friendship Quilts such as theirs may not always look nice and neat and pretty... but they are a treasure.

[Virginia Noyes · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is so special and tender to me. This is exactly how generations of hobby crafters have always been. Makes me wanna make a quilt and excited to be old and crafting

[MackGetsLit · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐️ rounded ⬆️
I’m stealing a line from the book here, this is a geriatric soap opera, and I freaking loved it!
I laughed, I cried, I laughed some more, then I cried some more.
This is a little bit of Real Housewives, The Golden Girls, and Steel Magnolias all balled up and stitched together. An endearing story about friendships. It reminded me that sometimes I could care less about the book we read for book club, I just look forward to going and having that sense of community. At the risk of being that obnoxious sounding millennial, I love that “third space” these sort of groups allow us to have to form these friendships. As someone who attends book clubs that tend to have some older (and undoubtedly wiser) members, I really enjoyed this book and the similarities I could pull out like threads! 🧵 🪡
(See what I did therewith that subtle pun 😉)