The following article was published in "The De Smet News" newspaper:

By John Prinzler, Editor
The De Smet News

Donna Stewart is a late bloomer when it comes to making quilts. She made her first quilt 13 years ago and hasn't
stopped making them since then.

Stewart, of De Smet, was the pastor of a United Methodist church in Leola in the 1990s when a church member
gave her the inspiration to start making quilts.
"I started making quilts back then and haven't stopped," she said.

Stewart has come a long way since making her first sampler quilt in 1994. Over the years, Stewart has made quilts
for family members, De Smet's Old Settler's Day, the Laura Ingalls Wilder Pageant, and Ingathering for World
Hunger.

She made a quilt three years ago for two disc jockeys at KIKN, a country music radio station in Sioux Falls.

"I called in for a contest at the radio station, and when asked what I was doing I said I was making a quilt," said
Stewart. "The disc jockey asked me if I would make a quilt for him and his partner and, of course, I said yes. So I
made good on my promise."

Stewart just completed her largest quilt-making project. Last month she took 10 quilts, two fleece blankets and
several pillows she made to Southeast Pierre United Methodist Church where her son, Steven Stewart, teaches
Sunday school.

The quilts, blankets and pillows were given to the children who attend Sunday school. Many of the children are
Native Americans and come from low-income families.

"A lot of the parents of the kids who attend Sunday school don't come to church," said Stewart. "The kids get
themselves up so that they can get to church by 9 a.m. One little boy got his parents and an uncle to come to church
and the adults at the church were thrilled to see them there."

Each quilt has a patch on the back of it with the recipients' name. The patches also state that Stewart made the
quilts in 2007.

"At first I was thinking about making just two or three quilts," said Stewart. "But then I decided to do 10 quilts and
two fleece blankets. The quilts and blankets aren't small. Each one is 60 inches by 70 inches.

"This is the most quilts I've made at one time," she said. "They are all different types of quilts with different
patterns."

The Sunday school kids at the Pierre church need to know that somebody cares about them, said Stewart. "I really
admire my son for his involvement in the church, especially when it comes to teaching Sunday school," she said.
"He has always been a real determined person."

Stewart has made three quilts for Ingathering for World Hunger held each fall in the Christen Wellness Center at
Dakota Wesleyan University in Mitchell. Proceeds from the quilt sales are used to end world hunger.

"One of my quilts sold for $500," she said. "Hundreds of quilts are auctioned off at the event, and they are all
beautiful. Some of them sell for more than $1,000 each."

Although she has made dozens of quilts, Stewart said she doesn't keep her handiwork.
"I make the quilts and give them away," she said. "I'm pretty much self-taught. I used templates when I made my
first quilt. Now I use a rotary cutter and an easy rule, which is a lot faster than using a scissors and templates.
Rotary cutters are used nowadays by most quilters."

Stewart has made what she calls "crazy quilts" for family members. A crazy quilt she made for her daughter, Karen
Brown of De Smet, incorporates a variety of strings of beads used by family members over the years and different
stitches used as embellishment.

"There's a lot of creativity involved when making crazy quilts," she said. "You can do pretty much whatever you
want to do. When making other types of quilts, you need to follow a pattern."

Stewart said she makes quilts because she loves doing it.
"I really enjoy quilting," she said. "I get a sense of accomplishment from making quilts. I don't do it to make money
or bring attention to myself."
Rev. Donna Stewart and the Sunday School students with the quilts that she made and presented to
them.  The two girls in the front row are Rev. Stewart's great granddaughters; granddaughters of Steve
Stewart who is the Sunday School teacher.
SEPUMC &
          Community Center
The Great Quilt Give-Away