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
Bee Crafty (in Huntington) gets bigger and better
Great news,Bee Crafty are moving into bigger premises BUT still at the same address AND they have the wonderful Stuart Hillard from the successful BBC show The Great British Sewing Bee coming to open their shop on the 6th August and to spend the day. He will be personally signing copies of the book from the show so if you want to turn up and support them you will be more than welcome.
Jasmine’s quilts
Jasmine joined us for our Sewing Weekend Getway at Dunford House in June and look what she made: Take Five Fabrics As she is a long arm quilter she has taken pictures of the reverse of the quilts too, and don't they look lovely Take 9 Thanks for sharing (and look forward to seeing you in 2014!)
A question about Rosebud Fayre Block of the Month
This is now in the archive section of the site but the question from Cythia was: I was wondering as a paid member if I might be able to see this Block of the Month series on Rosebud Fayre?
Answer:
Yes we can organise that for you; we usually put videos (from the archive) up for a week but as this is a series would you like them spaced weekly OR all at one go! We could put them up for a month maybe?