All About Us

Ruby's Legacy

All About Us

Ruby Short McKim (1891-1976) published her first pattern series, "The Bedtime Quiltie" (also known as "The Quaddie Quiltie"), in the Kansas City Star in 1916. This was done as a book promotion for the stories by Thornton Burgess whose characters were woodland animals living around Smiling Pond. She designed the animals to be angular, "...so as to not scare the small child who would wake up to see a wild animal sitting on his bed."

Hi: I am Christina Fullerton Jones, the eldest granddaughter of Ruby. I have adapted the numerous quilt patterns of my grandmother, offering them as cross-stitch designs for today's needle worker. They are as charming 90 years later as when they first were offered as simple outline stitching or appliqué. My new mail order business, Ruby's Legacy, follows the tradition of McKim Studios, which was the business begun by Arthur and Ruby Short McKim. Through it, Ruby's creative quilt patterns became legendary as they were printed in hundreds of newspapers and magazines throughout this country and in Canada and Australia, or mailed to customers directly from the business in Independence, MO. A true "cottage industry", the Studio was located on the first and third floors of the family home. McKim Studios offered quilting patterns with or without material included (bolt or pre-cut), embroidery designs, stuffed dolls and animals, and other miscellaneous artistic ideas for home decorating and/or gift giving. They published a catalogue of the designs entitled Designs Worth Doing throughout the 1920s and most of the 1930s. In 1931, Ruby published One Hundred and One Patchwork Patterns. This book is still available today, in paperback form, from Dover Press. In 2002, Ruby was posthumously inducted into the Quilters' Hall of Fame in Marion, IN.

Ruby's philosophy was that creativity must be cultivated. She started as the Art Director for the Independence (MO) School District and passed these lessons on to her family and to the thousands of women who used her designs to decorate their homes for their families. Countless children enjoyed the pages she created especially for them in the newspapers and magazines of the day. All her work, in her home or published, was done with the intent to start the creative juices flowing in others. Now it is my turn, along with my friend, Maenwyn Rati, to pass on Ruby's legacy of designs by offering them once again...this time in two new formats: cross-stitch or beadwork. Some are easy enough for children, others more challenging. All can be used in a variety of ways: made into a quilt; used to decorate pockets, t-shirts, or purses; made into soft children's books or wall hangings, with or without borders, smaller or larger...whatever and wherever your imagination takes you.

Ruby's Legacy was begun when my latest granddaughter, Serafina Shae, was born. One of my daughters, 16 year-old Emily, was trying to find some cross-stitch patterns to make a baby gift. She shopped and shopped and just couldn't find what she really wanted. While complaining (read "whining"...you know how 16 year olds are!) an artistically-talented friend, Maenwyn, suggested turning Ruby's patterns into cross-stitch ones. That, then, sparked the idea of producing them to sell on eBay and/or a web-site...and here we are! Most of the patterns offered will be Ruby's original designs. Some are not necessarily "politically correct" by today's standards; however, after conferring with many friends of other ethnicities, they insisted that I should publish them "as they were" as that is how Ruby drew them in her day and age. Others patterns by past designers may be added later...especially the bead creations by Maenwyn, but for now we are concentrating on Ruby's. As we manage to convert her work, it will be added to the Gallery and offered for sale.

Patterns will be offered in a number of ways to suit your needs. You may purchase them one at a time, in small sets, or in a spiral-book format for an entire set. Most of Ruby's designs were in groups of 15-20 individual blocks, but you choose the quantity to fit your needs. All will contain a full-color picture, a black & white pattern on a grid, and a legend of floss requirements. Bead patterns will have appropriate information for that medium. Like Ruby, we want to encourage our customers to "make these your own"--to enjoy and fit into your decorating style. Now, go forth and create!!

Web Design: Assisted by Pat Smith

Web Space graciously provided by Webconceptsusa.com

Email: RubysLegacy@comcast.net