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
Textiles in Focus weekend
Filming last Sunday at the Textiles in Focus event in Cottenham, Cambs was a big success. We met up with lots of wonderful traders – including Myfanwy Hart, and Jamie from Colouricious – and we also filmed content from some wonderful demonstrators, including Lynda Monk using Lutradur; Fran Rose showing us a great idea for beading and bags (and a copy of her book is in the shopping pages - Fran's Little Bags) and Pauline Verrinder (the organiser) who was demonstrating how to make 3D leaves for us and will be teaching at Cottenham Village Summer School.
For all you knitters out there!
At the Textiles in Focus show there is a lady who is spinning yarn for use on jumbo needles Outward Images - and I mean jumbo: fancy a set myself to try knitting up maybe some of my scrap strips of fabric BUT check out Rachel John and her extreme knitting: on Youtube: Rachel John, Extreme Knitting, 1000 Strand Knit
February 2013
What’s new to see on the first Friday in February? [...]