Mother Goose Quiltie Pattern – Ruby Short McKim, 1920

The Brooklyn Daily Eagle published this McKim series in their children’s section, The Junior Eagle. I hadn’t realized they were originally meant to be made by children, and I love that the Eagle went beyond just publishing the patterns, and sponsored a contest for the little quilt-makers (prizes listed below).

Today we have a drawing of the finished quilt, along with instructions, as well as the first Quiltie in the series — Mother Goose, of course. I wanted to start on a Sunday (just like the Eagle), but I’m a little late. From now on, I will publish each new pattern on successive Sundays, and I hope some of you will stitch along with me. I am thinking of making mine doll sized, but I haven’t quite made up my mind. [Update: I am doing a doll quilt with 4″ finished blocks, and back stitch instead of the suggested outline stitch, because it’s easier to make sharp corners] Click the images to enlarge.

Here is the cunning little quilt we have been telling about, all finished to tuck around the boys and girls who love Mother Goose’s family. See Jack and Jill going for that troublesome pail of water. And can you find stupid, old Humpty Dumpty that fell clear off the wall. Who has jumped right over the candlestick?

Every Sunday, for twenty weeks, one of the little blocks, or Quilties, will be here, just the size to transfer on to a 10-inch muslin square. Be sure to save every pattern, because it takes just twenty for a quilt to fit your bed.

After they are traced through carbon paper onto muslin, big sister or mother can show you about the outline stitch, if you never did it. Use some pretty colored thread, and when the Quilties are all finished they can be set together with strips of the same color. Sure, boys make quilts too, and get tucked under them just the same as girls do.

Of course, you are all going to make one of these Quilts and try for one of the prizes. Read all about them below.

The First Pattern – Mother Goose Quiltie No. 1

Old Mother Goose now leads the way

For all her funny folks to play;

She’ll have a party, just for you,

If careful stitching you can do.

Here is Mother Goose, just as we promised, flying up to sweep the cobwebs out of the sky. The Man in the Moon is watching to see that she does a good job. By morning she’ll be all through and come sweep the cobwebs out of kiddie’s sleepy eyes in time to see the big, bright sun.

Note — To change the drawing into a quilt block, get a smoothly ironed piece of muslin, 10 inches square and a blue or black carbon paper. Lay the muslin down on a flat surface. Place the carbon paper over it. On top of the carbon paper place the above drawing. Stick rows of pins around the design so it will be held firmly in place over the carbon and the muslin. Then, so that the traced lines of the design will be perfectly straight, lay a ruler along the lines of the drawing. Trace over the lines of the drawing and the pattern will be transferred through the carbon to the muslin. Then you can outline stitch the lines on the muslin and have the pattern in thread. There are twenty drawings in all, so when the series is completed you will have enough muslin squares to make a child’s quilt.