Series Quilts – Newspapers and Magazines

In 1916, Ruby Short published the first (at least that I know of) series quilt pattern called Quaddy Quiltie, see image on right. It is also known as the Bedtime Stories Quilt, and was based on the animal characters from Thornton Burgess’ Bedtime Stories. Ruby married in 1917, and became Ruby Short McKim. Her patterns, along with the Nancy Page Quilt Club, were syndicated in newspapers throughout the country. Several newspapers had their own staff design the quilt patterns, for example, Margaret Techy for the Cleveland Plain Dealer. Throughout the 20’s and 30’s newspapers used the series quilts to boost their circulation. Many ran contests for the completed quilts. The popularity of the series patterns began to wane in the early 1940’s, as did the outline-embroidery needlework. Here is a listing of the various series quilts I have found over the years. I have many of these, not always complete – either the original clippings or a photocopy.

Ruby Short McKim (McKim Studios)
Quaddy Quiltie, Mother Goose Quiltie, Nursery Rhyme, Rhyme Land Quilt, Roly-Poly Circus, Fruit Basket, Flower Basket, A Jolly Circus, Child Life Quilt, Alice in Wonderland Quiltie, Flower Garden, Bird Life or Audubon Quilt, Three Little Pigs, Colonial History, Bible History, Farm Life, Peter Pan, State Flowers, Wild Flowers, Toy Shop Window, Patchwork Sampler, Patchwork Parade of States*, American Ships

*A series of 48 individual quilt patterns representing the 48 states

Nancy Page (Florence LaGanke / Ann Kerven)
ABC Quilt, Snowflake Quilt, French Bouquet, Garden Bouquet, Grandmother’s Flower Garden, Magic Vine, Buckle My Shoe, Laurel Wreath, Calendar, Zodiac Quilt, Falling Leaves, Many Stars, Quilt of Birds, Brother Sister Quilt, Wreath Series, Ships at Sea

Margaret Techy (Cleveland Plain Dealer)
Old English, Ohio Flower, Fruit Quilt, Medieval Quilt, All-Sports

Eveline Foland (Kansas City Star)
Santa’s Parade, Memory Bouquet, Horn of Plenty

C. Mullen
Nursery Rhyme Quilt, Modernistic Flower

Aileen Bullard/Cox Features
Happy Childhood

Nadine Bradley (Omaha World Herald)
State Birds and Flower Quilt

Mary Erckenbrack
Golden West (Seattle Star), Old Glory; plus a Vanity Table Runner

Laverne Bartos (Omaha World Herald)
Nursery Rhyme, Costumes of Nationalities

Harry Rasmussen (Omaha World Herald)
Big Top Circus

John F. Dille Co.
Flower Basket

Lois Clayton DeRaine (Fort Worth Star-Telegram)

Flowers of Ft. Worth Texas 

Misc – Designer Unknown
Noah’s Ark (Seattle Star), Covered Wagon States (Omaha World Herald), Mother Goose (Detroit News), All American Quilt (The Record)