Painted Stitches
About Us
Donna Clauer Stufft
An avid quilter with a fabric addiction, Donna has been sewing since she was 12, inheriting her love for quilts from her mother's Pennsylvania Dutch ancestors. Inspired by their work, Donna started quilting 40 years ago. In 1997 she began to explore 'surface design' techniques in fiber and to incorporate them into her quilts, resulting in "Art Quilts'... quilted wall hangings that from a distance look like traditional painted art. Each piece starts as an original acrylic painting on a canvas of cotton. Raw edge piecing gives texture, and thread sketching enhances detail while adding color. Stitching through the layers creates highlight on the loft as well as subtle shadows in the valleys. Using brightly bold colors or softly muted shades, she loves to interpret the beauty that she finds in nature.
Donna teaches, lectures and exhibits her work throughout the northeast and mid-Atlantic region, participating in national quilt shows as well as local art/craft events. She is a three-time winner in Quilting Arts Magazine’s annual calendar contest (2005, 2006, 2008) and a 2007 winner of their Judge’s Choice Award. Donna was honored to win a blue ribbon at the Mid-Atlantic Quilt Festival for Best Wall Quilt in 2012. She also won ribbons at MAQF for Best Pictorial Quilt in 2013 and Judge’s Choice in 2014. In 2015 she won an Honorable Mention Ribbon at the Denver National Quilt Show, and in 2016 February she won a third-place ribbon for her entry at MAQF. Commissioned work is welcomed.
Donna and her husband, Derry, live on Virginia's Eastern Shore, in Temperanceville near Chincoteague and Assateague Islands, where her work is inspired by the natural beauty of the area.
Donna is a juried member of the Artisans Center of Virginia, a juried member of the Eastern Shore Artisan's Guild, and a member of Virginia's Eastern Shore Artisan's Trail.
Sarah Jillard
Sarah Jillard grew up in Bel Air, MD, surrounded by arts and crafts. As a child she tried them all, learning to sew when she was 10. In high school, she focused on painting with watercolors and acrylics, and she considered a career in graphic design. However, life took her in a different direction, and she spent her 20’s working for the FAA outside of Atlantic City. During that time she continued her exploration of the needle arts, crocheting and making traditional baby quilts, while continuing to paint.
In her early 30’s, Sarah moved to the Eastern Shore of Virginia, near Chincoteague, where she now lives with her husband and three young children. In 2012, inspired and encouraged by her mother’s art quilts, Sarah began to create them, too – in her own palette and with her own style of painting. Using free motion thread sketching and raw edge piecing, which compliment her painting, Sarah’s wall hangings and framed pieces reflect her interest in the natural beauty that surrounds her on the shore.
Sarah’s quilts have been entered into the Mid-Atlantic Quilt Festival and have been exhibited in local and regional art/craft events. She also teaches private and group classes. Commissioned work is welcome.