Beatrice Coleman and other members of her quilting guild, The Village Quilters, are anxiously piecing together their quilts to enter in a quilting show--but it's hard to find the time to finish. To encourage them, fellow guild member Posy offers to hold a fall quilting retreat in the back room of her quilting shop, The Patchwork Cottage. Long tables will be set up, quilting materials will be on hand, and the quilters can come to talk and eat, and to piece together their projects. The event sounds so appealing that both Phyllis Stitt and Martha Helmsley ask to join in--even though they're members of the town's other quilting guild, the Cut-Ups. The day of the retreat sees the quilters assembling in the back room with their notions, their projects, and their gossip. All except Phyllis, who can't seem to find her missing shears. Beatrice joins the search and finally finds the shears--buried in fellow Dappled Hills resident Jason Gore. Jason lived in Dappled Hills long ago, until he abruptly left Phyllis at the altar. He recently returned, having taken up with Martha Helmsley. Aghast at his demise, Martha promptly accuses Phyllis of murder. After all, those are her shears! Although Beatrice doesn't know the parties involved well, it's up to her to piece together this murder before someone else is sent to the tumbling blocks. As the leaves begin to fall in idyllic Dappled Hills, someone puts too fine a point on a local ladies' man. Fortunately, the detective skills of quilter Beatrice Coleman are a cut above the rest.... The Village Quilters of Dappled Hills, North Carolina, are desperate to finish their quilts before an upcoming show. To help, fellow member Posy has opened the back room of her shop, the Patchwork Cottage, for everyone to use. But the ladies are less than thrilled when Phyllis Stitt and Martha Helmsley-members of their rival quilting guild, the Cut-Ups-ask to join them. Phyllis is hoping to leave the Cut-Ups and join up with the Village Quilters now that Martha's dating her ex-fiance, Jason Gore. She's not pleased when he visits the shop and even more upset when her new shears disappear. After offering to search for them, Beatrice discovers Jason with the shears buried in his unfaithful heart. Now she must sharpen her sleuthing skills to find a killer before someone else's life is cut short.... INCLUDES QUILTING TIPS!