Sunderland was among the first to revolutionize print fabrics used in fashion and home decorating. Her designs incorporated her experience from world travels, books and observations. She was also influenced by her mother whose embroidered doily inspired Sunderland’s strawberry’s motif, designed in 1943. It was her most famous print used mainly for tablecloths. Her synthetic and natural printed fabrics were also used for sportswear and furnishings by designers and retailers across the United States. Elza’s works had California-style imagery and use of color. She defined her pattern design for textiles as ‘Color-fornia’.