Rhyme Land Quilt   This series includes twenty-eight 5-inch blocks: Margery Daw Humpty Dumpty Mother Goose Wee Willie Winkle Barber, Shave a Pig Rock-a-bye-baby Banbury Cross Bo Peep Tom, the Piper’s Son Hey-Diddle-Diddle Bobby Shafto Mary and her Lamb Rain, Go Away Polly Kettle Boy Blue Curly Locks Mother Hubbard Miss Muffet Simple Simon Tommy Tucker Jack be Nimble Bye Baby Bunting King Cole Queen of Hearts Peter’s Wife Twinkle Star Lucy Locket Jack Fell Down Shirley McElderry made this wonderful small piece in 1996 using original Ruby McKim patterns.  The charming hand embroidered quilt was originally published in the Beloit, Kansas “Daily Call” newspaper as a pattern series from 1935 – 1936.  Shirley’s embroidery is superb, as is the fabulous hand quilting done by Karen Yoder, at 10 tiny, even stitches per inch, one side only.  Take note of the two different alternating duck designs in the white blocks.  Quilt measures 68 x 78 inches.  About Shirley McElderry. Back of quilt detail Polly Kettle Mother Hubbard Miss Muffet Jack be Nimble Queen of Hearts Peter’s Wife Lucy Locket Jack Fell Down   Boy Blue Curly Locks Simple Simon Bye Baby Bunting King Cole   Simple Simon Tommy Tucker Bye Baby Bunting King Cole Twinkle Star Lucy Locket   Barber Shave a Pig Bo Peep Tom the Piper's Son   Humpty Dumpty Mother Goose   Banbury Cross   Rain, Go Away   Wee Willy Winkle     Pattern History There is so much history behind Mother Goose Nursery Rhymes and it is fun to be reminded of their original context. Here is the history behind just a few: Seesaw Margery Daw The seesaw is the oldest ‘ride’ for children. Humpty Dumpty Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall, Humpty Dumpty had a great fall. All the King's horses, And all the King's men Couldn't put Humpty together again! Colloquial term used in 15th century England to describe someone who was obese.  It is believed that Humpty Dumpty was actually a large cannon used during the English Civil War (1642-1649) in the Siege of Colchester. It was strategically placed on the wall next to St Mary’s Church. Lucy Locket Lucy Locket lost her pocket, Kitty Fisher found it; Not a penny was there in it, Only ribbon round it. Words based on people and places in London during the 1700s. Lucy Locket was believed to be a barmaid at the Cock Public House in Fleet Street, London. Kitty Fisher was a famous courtesan. The ‘pocket’ is Old English for a pouch or small bag. The implication is that poor Lucy Locket made very little money as opposed to the similarly employed Kitty who was envied for her great beauty and vast wealth. Curly Locks Curly Locks! curly locks! wilt thou be mine? Thou shall't not wash dishes, nor yet feed the swine, But sit on a cushion and sew a fine seam, And feed upon strawberries, sugar, and cream! No apparent connection to a specific lady in history. Lyrics simply reflect that curls are a symbol of elegance and beauty. The message in the lyrics is that a girl with ‘Curly Locks’ is so desirable that her future will be a comfortable life probably made by a good marriage. From Ruby McKim’s original pattern, she had this to say about Curly Locks:   “What a future this girl has! And she ‘wilt be thine’ just by tracing her carefully through carbon paper onto your cloth block, 9 inches square.     Shirley McElderry "My obsession with quilts began in the 1960’s. I had already made several crib quilts when one day a quilt dealer friend showed me a Ruby Short (McKim) “Quaddy Quiltie” crib quilt from about 1918 -- and I was hooked on antique crib quilts. This one I had to keep! Since then, I have made and collected other crib quilts made with the McKim series published newspaper patterns, along with other “kit” crib quilts as well as other “folk art” crib quilts created from patterns, pictures, and whatever whimsy struck the quiltmaker. My collection of crib quilts represents, indeed, a century of childhood."