Thursday, May 19, 2011

I'll Huff And I'll Puff

I think all of us know the tale of the Three Little Pigs 
who went out into the world to seek their fortune,
built homes from straw, twigs and brick, 
and did their best to keep away from the big bad wolf.

That was my favorite story when I was a wee girl
and I remember my Grandpa reading it to me, over and over again.

My grandma made this crib size piggy quilt when my Dad was little.
She embroidered and appliqued each square.


The quilt was passed down to me, 
because I was the granddaughter who loved piggies.
And I used it when I had children of my own.

It says (in rebus form):
"Open the door  and let me in.
No! By th' hair of my chiny chin chin.
Then I'll huff and I'll puff,
I'll blow your house in!"


Ruby Short McKim was the designer and illustrator of this quilt.  Her quilt patterns were published in newspapers across the country in the 1920's and 30's. This piggy quilt was designed as a series. Years later I discovered the piggy pattern republished in this book of McKim designs.  Naturally I had to buy the book!  



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UPDATE:   Please visit this link to Karen's post,  Ruby McKim's Big Bad Wolf
to see another fun version of the piggy quilt.


Join us for  Vintage Thingie Thursday at The Colorado Lady.

45 comments:

  1. What a fun little piggy quilt and so cool that you still have it. Will you be making another one from the book you purchased?

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  2. What a little treasure!
    The pumkins are for eating, decorating the house and courtyard in fall and.....the chickens are fond of them too.

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  3. That is wonderful that you still have something that your Grandma made. It is lovely.

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  4. What a precious quilt. Such a treasurer.

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  5. What a fun quilt with a great history-enjoy:@)

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  6. A very sweet quilt and so nice that it has been kept in such great condition after all of those years!

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  7. That is one very cute quilt and a wonderful piece of your past! What a lovely treasure!

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  8. I love all quilts regardless of the size or use. This is a real treasure filled with great memories.

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  9. What a sweet story, lucky you to have such a wonderful quilt.

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  10. This is precious and the fact that it was your dads and made by your grandma makes it all the more special.

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  11. Hi,

    Oh goodness - what a treasure your little piggy quilt is - so special and adorable.
    Have a lovely day.
    Blessings,
    Erin

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  12. This is so beautiful! What a treasure you have. Thank you for sharing!

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  13. Those piggies are so precious they made me put my BLT down for a whole minute. Hey, I have a few hairs on my chinny chin chin, so it's hard for me to be totally on their side. It really is an adorable quilt.

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  14. What a treasure! And, how wonderful that it's held up over the years. I adore vintage quilts, but the ones with a history are my very favorite.

    Huggies,
    Spencer

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  15. What a unique and special family heirloom :) You're lucky to have it and still in such great condition.

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  16. Very adorable! What a wonderful treasure you have!
    Thanks for stopping by!
    Have a wonferful day!

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  17. Oh my! what a precious keepsake that is!
    Do you display that on a wall...or keep it safely hidden away....? I would pass that on from generation to generation....! SWEET!

    ciao bella

    CREATIVE CARMELINA

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  18. What an adorable quilt. Have you decided who will have the pleasure of receiving it when you've finished with it?

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  19. What a treasure! Good for you for appreciating it properly.

    Blessings, Debbie

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  20. A very adorable quilt indeed. And so glad to hear it was well loved and used.

    Thanks for the link to the McKin patterns. Not that I need any, but one or two wouldn't hurt...right?

    blessings, jilly

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  21. that sweet little quilt is ADORABLE!! i LOVE it!!

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  22. Oh what a lovely post! My children and I love the story and we read it often. My nanny children wanted to hear it often too ... It's a classic and what a lovely quilt!

    Have a nice day & thanks for sharing,
    Carolien

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  23. I adore this quilt! what love and patience to pass down through the family! jennyx

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  24. What a beautiful quilt, Carole, and to have something made by your grandmother's loving hands, is such a treasure.
    Thanks for sharing.
    Sue

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  25. Wow, amazing! That's inspirational!
    I love quilts! :)

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  26. That is such a cute little quilt. It has such an interesting story behind it. I can picture your Grandmother waiting for the next series in the newspaper.

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  27. Thanks for stoppin' by. That heirloom quilt is stunning. What a fun quilt for a young person to have had.

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  28. What a wonderful quilt, a real family heirloom to treasure.
    I love it, thankyou for sharing it!
    Gill x

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  29. What a treasure! Thanks for sharing.

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  30. Oh! How lucky you are to have such a wonderful bit of family history!

    The Three Little Pigs was the story my dad enjoyed telling my nieces when they were little. I can't wait for him to sit and tell my daughter that story (right now she doesn't sit still long enough)!

    Thanks so much for sharing and thank you for stopping by my blog for a visit!

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  31. What a wonderful treasure you have-such love put into it!!!

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  32. Wonderful post!! My favorite pieces are family pieces like this. That is one very special quilt.
    Jane

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  33. Oh I so enjoyed reading about your Little Piggy Quilt. It's an incredibly special treasure and thank you for telling us all about it.

    Thanks for popping in and reminding me about Susan Branch's illustrations in CL. I am planning a trip through the trunk today to see if I can round any up.

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  34. I love your wonderful little pig quilt. What a fascinating heirloom to treasure.
    Helen x

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  35. What a precious quilt! You have taken such perfect care of it. I love the colors, it is so beautiful and unique. This is why vintage is the best!

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  36. Oh, that is a wonderul and beautiful keepsake treasure!!

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  37. Beautiful quilt! I love family heirlooms...they add so much to our lives.

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  38. Ohhh, I love your little piggy quilt..how lucky you are to have it! Loved the story as a child too! I still love to tell it to my grands.

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  39. Thankyou for taking the time to stop by and leave that lovely comment - so sweet and thoughtful of you.
    Am very glad that you were honest about that particular china, otherwise people might have rushed off to try to find some and have been similarly disapointed.
    Loving your blog!
    have a great week!
    Gill xx

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  40. I have a quilt that my Nan made for my boys! That is what you call real treasure!

    Lou xxx

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  41. I love vintage linens. I especially like to repurpose them. Family heirlooms are the best! So wonderful you get to keep this to keep passing down! I just purchased may new items and will be sewing a lot. Enjoyed visiting your blog!

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  42. WOW how precious that you inherited this wonderful piece.

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  43. adorable quilt & how lucky you are to have it!

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THANK YOU for your thoughtful comments. Replies to your questions will be posted here, so be sure to check back soon. Have a wonderful day! - Gayle, Garden Of Daisies