About Us
We are a grandma and grandpa duo, Mary and Dean
Smith. Mary became "The Quiltsmith" after her quilting
friends encouraged her to publish her patterns. We consulted
with a local pattern designing family, and were further encouraged
to take the big step into pattern designing. They helped with
us with all the details of getting started, how to get the patterns
printed, get the business going, and market the patterns. We
have been marketing her patterns since 2003, displaying them
at many quilt shows, mostly in the Pacific Northwest.
Mary is a natural born artist with many talents
including drawing, painting, photography, wood carving, and cabinet
making as well as being a good quilter, and gardener. All these
skills fit together.
She usually designs small patterns for table toppers,
table runners, wall hangings, aprons, and occasionally larger
projects. These smaller projects help keep the costs down.
Subject matter includes landscapes, birds, animals,
seascapes, and floral, using freezer paper piecing, fusing, hand
and machine applique.
We market patterns at the retail level as well
as the wholesale level. All orders are shipped very promptly,
usually within 24 hours, if we are not away at a show when the
order arrives.
We live in central Oregon, near the town of Sisters,
which is the "Quilting Capitol" of the area. Our town
is known all over the world for The Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show
which is always the second weekend of July. It is only a one
day show, but the classes and festivities go on for a whole week.
All businesses in town are covered with quilts. Many quilts are
hung inside the stores the week before the show and people walk
the streets, and enjoy the quilts and entertainment during the
quilt walk.
Mary and I are both retired, and
are enjoying the quilting and the quilting business. Both of
us quilt, or in my case, I try, and enjoys it. I'm more
into the quilt shows and the people we meet and the trips we
take. Mary was a teachers aide in the Eugene, Oregon school system
and did a lot of art work in the various schools. She loves teaching
people anything she knows about quilting. I spent most of
my working years at a large paper mill.