Ruby Short McKim's Roly Poly Circus Quilt [Spiral-bound]

Jill Sutton Filo (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 15, 1998 | ISBN-10: 0967019702 | ISBN-13: 978-0967019703

This 75th anniversary celebration of Roly Poly Circus Quilt exemplifies the timeless appeal of quilt patterns by Ruby Short McKim, a Depression Era quilt designer, entrepreneur, and author of the 1931 classic, One Hundred and One Patchwork Patterns which is reprinted today. McKim's endless list of classic quilt patterns continue to charm modern quilters, and these 1923 Roly Poly Circus animals enjoy the spotlight once again, including an episode on HGTV's Simply Quilts (#435).

Whimsical animals roll across quilt blocks designed for embroidery (such as redwork), fusible appliqu, or crayon craft. All ages enjoy making and receiving Roly Poly quilts and other projects decorated with curving creatures of circus fame which include a tiger, elephant, and kangaroo, too.

Twenty circular animal friends comfortably fit 8" or 9" squares, similar to the popular Penny Squares. Full-sized and miniature patterns are included in this easy-to-use spiral-bound paperback along with instructions for a vintage child's quilt that is framed with distinctive prairie points.

Quilt historian Jill Sutton Filo offers her first tribute to Ruby Short McKim. The 93 page Roly Poly Circus Quilt book's historic chapters unveil a biographic overview of McKim, the internationally known quilt designer, as well as outlines the pattern's publication history, and offers a glimpse of redwork and embroidery quilt history. Combined with playful patterns, the author's extensive and thorough research blends with the McKim family contributions to present a refreshing and informative portrait of a powerful influence on today's quilt world, Ruby Short McKim.

Roly Poly Circus Quilt, a premier self-publishing adventure, details the life and work of America's powerhouse of quilt designs, Ruby Short McKim, in a user-friendly presentation. As a quilter herself, the author/publisher focused on the book's format, a prime concern because many pattern books are cumbersome and awkward to handle. Roly Poly Circus Quilt is an accommodating spiral-bound 7"x 8 " paperback which is easy to use when tracing designs and lays flat when reading instructions, a perfect instructional companion. If the patterns are traced on a light table, no confusing lines are printed on the reverse of the page, just a miniature design of a different animal neatly tucked into the corner of the page. Also, each pattern sports center lines for accuracy in placement and tracing. Because of its considerate format and rare content, beginner and seasoned quilters alike will enjoy this enlightening comfortable presentation.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"ALL the [Roly Poly Circus Quilt] books are gone... Please send us another batch! People seem to be really excited about it, and that's very pleasing." -- Lou Shafer, President, Jannilou Creations, Inc.

"Enjoyed the historical information in your 'Roly Poly Circus' book. I used the small line drawings to digitize for my New Home 9000 and stitched them in a 2 mm satin stitch. I did all the blocks and set them together with the windmill block as suggested in Ruby's '101 Patchwork Patterns' Book. The quilt turned out great, thanks for the inspiration." -- Sue Uncapher, Treasurer, National Quilting Association

"I got your [Roly Poly Circus Quilt] book yesterday and wanted to let you know I started reading it right off. You have done extensive research and what an interesting subject! I like the idea that I can take this along with me to work and even on the road. We go to a lot of Pow-Wows in the summer and I do so much Native Bead work, and it is hard to bead in the car!" -- Michelle Wetzel, Native American artist

"I just received the 'Roly Poly Circus Quilt' last night and can hardly wait to get started." -- Alberta Graham, quilter

From the Back Cover

Jill Sutton Filo's Roly Poly Circus Quilt book introduces the 75th anniversary edition of re-drafted patterns originally designed by Ruby Short McKim, a well-known Depression Era quilt designer, artist, , and author of 101 Patchwork Patterns. Jill, also and artist, blends technique, full-size and mini patterns with her historical research for a variety of entertaining projects.

Through frequent communication and visiting with Ruby's descendants, Jill continues gathering personal insight about this effervescent lady, Ruby Short McKim. Jill shares a portion of her "Ruby-Quest," an ongoing and challenging cross-country adventure which reveals an honest portrait. She believes that Ruby deserves overdue recognition for contributing nearly a quarter century to designing, syndicating, and documenting our American quilt heritage. From 1916 to the late 1930s, Ruby ignited the wild-fire craze that birthed the colorful Depression Era and redwork quilts we admire and collect today.

The Roly Poly Circus Quilt is fun for children and the young at heart. Enjoy recreating a bit of history. Put a smile on a loved one's face with a jolly Roly Poly.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Spiral-bound: 93 pages
• Publisher: Charlottes Pr (April 15, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0967019702
• ISBN-13: 978-0967019703
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 7 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,625,827 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars excellent book, full of patterns and ideas, well written, June 22, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Ruby Short McKim's Roly Poly Circus Quilt (Spiral-bound)

If you are interested in redwork, or embroidery, this book is well recommended. It is full of history of Ruby Short McKim, and includes the evolution of the patterns on the 75th anniversary of the publishing of this book. It has a nice ring binder so that you can open it up fully without breaking the binding. Lots of ideas.

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Easy to read and follow, plus informative and fun!, May 23, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Ruby Short McKim's Roly Poly Circus Quilt (Spiral-bound)

Ms. Filo's book is informative and fun to read. Anyone who is "into" quilting knows of the creator, Ruby Short McKim. This book is geared to the novice as well as the expert. Her adaptations of the patterns make them applicable in a variety of ways besides the traditional baby quilt. The story of RSM is fascinating reading and leaves one wanting more information about this early pioneer in quilt syndication. Ms. Filo appears to be following the path of success from her new-found mentor. I hope Ms. Filo will continue to adapt the patterns of RSM, both the easy ones that can be used with children and the more difficult ones that stimulate the more experienced quilter. This is a rich American legacy that should be shared with this generation.

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Misleading Title, August 18, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Ruby Short McKim's Roly Poly Circus Quilt (Spiral-bound)

Overall, I really enjoyed this book! Unfortunately, I bought it because I thought the designs were copies of Ruby McKim's. I was very surprised to read that the author had "re-drafted" the designs and made "slight changes" to them (page 47). So be warned! If you are a quilter interested in making an exact reproduction of Ruby McKim's quilt, you are going to have to research the designs yourself.