About Dionne
Dionne paints with stitches to create dynamic, vibrantly coloured textiles. Her needle becomes her pen and thread her ink. The scale, emotion, and energy of her landscapes are inspirational.
Dionne is a graduate of Goldsmith’s College, London University. She has a Masters in Textiles from UCE. And she has been recognised by the industry for her incredible work, e.g. Shortlisted Finalist in the Fine Art Textiles Award at The Festival of Quilts 2020.
Now based between Yorkshire [UK] and Abruzzo [Italy], she exhibits and tutors internationally.
You can watch Dionne demonstrate how to use free motion embroidery to create a range of patterns, textures, tones, and shades in an episode of The Makers Studio series, brought to you by Janome and justhands-on.tv.
Signature Technique
Painting with stitches
Top Tips
- Use a vibrant mix of thread weights, colours, and styles to build up a more dynamic texture.
- A machine with an extra wide throat makes it easier to manipulate your piece.
- Cover your hoop with fabric to give it more grip. You need the fabric to stay drum like as you manoeuvre it.
- Drawing your subject first, with pencil on paper, can help improve your observation and knowledge of your subject – try not to work from a photograph.
- Practice by stitching your signature to get started. Your muscle memory will help you.
- Think of painting with stitches as an orchestra with the sewing machine, threads, fabric, hoop, and you (!) coming together to work as one.
- Don’t be afraid of the machine. After a few hours of speed sewing it becomes second nature.
- Try not to have a set image of the outcome. You are not stitching an exact replica. The result is where you get to. There is no wrong in there. Enjoy the journey.
Videos
Patterns
Posts
Subscriber Giveaway for August 2018 – Sashiko Box kit from The Stitch Witch
Sorry, the competition is now closed
Wotton poppy Appeal Update July 2018
For those of you following the wonderful plan to cover the tower of St Mary’s Church in Wotton-under-Edge with poppies, here's the latest update: Plans to cover the tower received a boost when a structural engineer proposed plans for hanging thousands of flowers. The proposed system uses scaffolding for suspending nets covered in fabric, wool and plastic poppies on the tower.
Life Can Be Like a Quilt
One lady in our community, Em Bayly from Florida has asked us to share her story with you. A few years ago I made my first queen-sized quilt to give to my son on his 50th birthday. He had just gotten out of the hospital following a difficult time in his life. I composed the following comments on a scratch pad to use on his card attached to the quilt.