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
Filming day with Sarah Hatton
We had a lovely day meeting up with Sarah, who is a knitter who also loves to crochet, but as she is left handed has had to teach herself. Well, if you are left handed, you are in for a treat, as Sarah shares her crochet knowledge with you . We also got a quick peak at the new Janome MC9400QCP (well Val turned the lights on for you and shows you what a big throat it has!) and we filmed some new workshops too from Valerie with lovely Alison Glass fabrics - so keep watching.
16 March 2018
New Videos Every Friday Navajo Blanket Quilt - [...]
Janome Competition machine
Dining room takeover by the loan machine! Very exciting - will be taking it with us to the Cotswold Water Park event at the weekend i.e. 17/18th March - so if you want to come along and have a play, which will entitle you to enter to win one of your own here is the address: De Vere Cotswold Water Park, Lake 6, Spine Road East, South Cerney, GL7 5FP just along the M4 close to Swindon.