Alice Smith (Vernonia) is a hand quilter, sewer, and embroiderer. An active member of Vernonia’s quilting community, Smith is a fourth-generation seamstress who has made over 200 quilts by hand.
Bio
Alice Smith comes from a long line of talented sewers; her mother, grandmother and great grandmother were all accomplished seamstresses. As a young child, Smith learned to sew and embroider from her mother and grandmother who started her with doll clothes. In 1975, at the encouragement of her twin sisters-in-law, Smith took up quilting and won a blue ribbon at the local fair. She has been an avid and productive quilter ever since. Smith prefers to complete every step of a project by hand, including cutting out shapes, embroidering quilt squares, and constructing the final quilt. Some of her most cherished quilts are commemorative pieces for family members. Her mother’s memorial quilt features squares embroidered with symbols and images that Smith’s children created in honor of their grandmother. For her father’s memorial quilt, Smith incorporated his baby gown into the design. She also rescued and completed a beautifully ornate quilt that her grandmother had begun but never finished during her lifetime. Every year, Smith provides a quilt for the St. Mary’s Quilt Fair raffle to raise money for charity. To date, Smith has made over 200 quilts which she donates, gifts, and sells.
