Ruby McKim

Ruby Short McKim ( Short; July 27, 1891 – July 26, 1976) was an American quilt designer, entrepreneur, teacher, writer and magazine editor. She developed an early interest in drawing, and graduated from the New York School of Fine and Applied Art in 1912. McKim taught drawing in the Missouri public school system, and became a contributor to The Kansas City Star, from which her quilt works was first published.

She was appointed editor of various magazines, and co-founded the McKim Studios mail-order company with her husband Arthur McKim in 1925 as a means of distributing her works widely. The business later evolved into Kimport Dolls, and McKim began selling imported antique dolls in the domestic market. Her works experienced a revival from 1999, and she was inducted into the Quilters Hall of Fame in 2002.

Early life McKim was born on July 27, 1891, in Millersburg, Illinois. Her father, Morris Trimble Short, was a Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints-affiliated frontier missionary, and her mother, Viola Vernon Short, was a librarian for the church and avidly promoted children's education. McKim had an older sister and one elder brother. The family was poor and relied on church donations to survive. and returned to Independence, Missouri to teach in the public school system.

Personal life

She was married to her high school classmate Arthur McKim from July 16, 1917, until his death in June 1967. The publications of her works led to quilt contests and shows to spread across the United States. McKim was inducted into the Quilters Hall of Fame in July 2002, the 33rd member to be so honored, in recognition of her "important contributions to the quilt revival of the early twentieth century, through her widely distributed designs, her book, and her business."