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
From little acorns……
We are always so pleased that our videos and workshops inspire others to join the happy band of textile addicts; here is a lovely letter from a beginner who seems to have done just that:
I didn't have a sewing machine or knew how to use one just 6 months ago but have fallen in love with patchwork in the meantime and have bought myself a very basic, very cheap sewing machine.
World Quilt Show USA Winner from the UK
Christine Porter is the British Coordinator for the World Quilt Show, which takes place in the USA every year, This year she had 28 entries and she is thrilled to say that a British quilter (from Bristol) called Stephanie Crawford won the Best of the World award for her fabulous quilt, ‘A Chinese Journey in Three Parts’ - see below: She won $2,000.
A wander round Festival of Quilts 2014
Over 800 quilts to see but helping on the Creative Quilting stand meant that time to enjoy this was limited: two of the winning entries that caught my eye was the Traditional Quilt category won by Philippa Naylor – stunning appliqué and free motion quilting. and the Quilt creations category won by an amazing grandfather clock - so much detail that you would need a whole day to look at this properly; this category was sponsored by Vivebooks who are the publishers of a new E-book by Chris Porter entitled Sensational Circle Quilts.