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
More sewing dates for Finding Ruby
We are having another sewing day Sunday 1 July 11am - 3pm - sewing - we can
start some machine sewing if anyone wants to bring their machine - we'll
have hand sewing as well. It would be a good time to look at the design for
the Rose quilt and plot the colours from the recent fabric dye session and
see how they work?
Winning fabric
Maureen shares a pic of this lovely bag that she made when she was a lucky winner of the prize draw of London fabrics - by Makower and donated by Creative Quiting - really lovely Maureen:
More sewing and filming for Justhands-on.tv
Just checked the weather report and its going to be a great sewing weekend! Am off this evening for a 24hour sewing marathon organised by Creative Quilting (down at Hampton Court) and really looking forward to it – 5pm Fri-5pm Sat with supper and lunch organised too; sew for as long as you like – I suspect I shall give up around 10pm but we will see – 16 of us so should be fun.