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
One for him and one for her – crazy quilts
Well a pink one and a blue one at any rate. These two lovely quilts were made with fabrics from The Cotton Craft Company - six fat 1/4's plus a mini-bolt of 1.5metres of extra wide which has been used in the border, there is enough for the backing and binding - so extremely economical! Also some lovely new wadding to try- can't wait!
4 March 2016
New Videos Every Friday Out and About The Structures Exhibition was [...]
Stripey with Jennie Rayment
Another fantastic filming day with Jennie; Here is the delightful quilt that she is going to share with us and which will be run as a series - probably two rows a month (still to work out the details!) . The quilt is made from a selection of 36 x Fat 1/4m's which we will be able to offer you AND there is enough fabric left over to create the backing and do the binding - so excellent value; PLUS we will be offering you the opportunity of trying a new 80/20 wadding (well new to us and we love it!) We hope to have the Promo film up soon so keep watching!!