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
Quilt in a day at Bee Crafty
Join me for a one-day workshop at Bee Crafty - the craft shop just outside Huntingdon Cambs - in February to create a Log Cabin quilt (top!); I promise it will be fun and I promise you will learn a quick and easy way to make log cabin blocks. If you are a complete beginner this class is perfect - we will be choosing fabrics on the evening before - and if you are already a patchworker but haven't come across this amazing construction method you too should join us.
November 2012
Have you had time to pop to the newlook website [...]
Join Carole Liebzeit for an exceptional class
Spaces are still available at Carol's class at Midsomer Quilting- Friday 16th November; Start with a colourful, simple pieced square and the fun begins! You will be using 3 inch and 3.5 inch square pieces of fabric in a nine patch format with colour strategies. Pieced squares form the corners, allowing you to ‘set’ your squares in a variety of so-called log cabin sets.