Roly Poly Circus Quilt

This series includes twenty  9-inch blocks: Pudgy Bear Kangaroo Christmas Camel Elephant Mr Zebra Seal Hippopotamus Mr Baboon Monkey Coon Giraffe Tiger King of Beasts Billy Goat Gnu Hyena Santa Claus Reindeer Spotted Leopard Alligator Bowser the Dog

McKim's Roly Poly Circus series first appeared in 1923 and newspapers all over America published these circus animals on a daily or weekly basis and often in the Sunday children's section. 

The Kansas City Star's publication of Roly Poly Circus created some entertaining reading.  The title on the Alligator block said, "Bowser Winds Up the Roly Poly Circus Series."  Obviously a mistake had been made and in a reprint the next day, the revised heading read, "Here is the Real Bowser of the Roly Poly Circus."  The caption under the illustration of the dog, "By the rush of animals to get into the Roly Poly Circus quilt, the alligator got into the dog kennel, so he got placed in the paper under Bowser's name.  Here is the real Bowser, who stayed behind like a good watch dog." 

Shirley McElderry finished this fantastic little piece in 1992 using the original patterns, originally created by Ruby Short McKim in the 1920s.  Shirley’s embroidery is superb as is her hand quilting, executed at 8 tiny, even stitches per inch, counting one side only.  Fabrics are all cottons  About Shirley McElderry.

Back of Quilt

Billy Goat
Gnu
Hyena
Leopard
Alligator
Bowser

Mr Zebra
Seal
Monkey
Coon

Pudgy Bear
Kangaroo

Close-up of Monkey

Kangaroo
Camel
Elephant
Seal
Hippopotamus
Monkey

Leo the Lion
Billy Goat
Santa Claus Reindeer
Leopard