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
19 August 2016
New Videos Every Friday Templates and Rulers Jennie [...]
Festival of Quilts 2016
For the first time since it started I was not on duty and took the opportunity to wander round snapping pics of quilts, catching up with people (sometimes literally bumping into them!) and shopping - what a great day. Here are a few quilts that caught my attention (other than those in the winning gallery of course! which we have posted on our Facebook page - click here) An entry from Kate Crossley (do you remember her stunning clock from a previous year?) A detail of the winning quilt's stitching - amazing; however in the early years this would have been done by hand - no other comment other than to say rather than taking weeks that would have taken years.
What’s it like on a Justhands-on.tv Retreat
Have you ever wondered what's it like on one of our retreats? Well now you can hear from some of the people who attend these fabulous sewing weekends. Why do they go? What do they get from them and why do they keep coming.... Click here for more details of our upcoming retreats in March April and October 2017