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
Textile Pennants for the Olympic Athletes
This is another of the initiatives run by the Quilters Guild to make pennants for the athletes. The project has currently received pennants showing nearly all the textile mediums you can think of by people from 2 to 92. While several thousand pennants have already been received a HUGE number are still needed but time is running out – they have to be in by the end of the year – do get sewing.
Southampton Quilters Show – 22nd Sept
This was a lovely event and we had a great time – met lots of friends; lots of members; saw lovely quilts; bought fabric – what more does one want?!?
Bargello from Jo Webb
I have attached a picture of the quilt I made for my final quilt when I did City & Guilds with Jenny Last at Windsor. I did enter it in the National Patchwork Championships in 2000 (the year I completed the course). It was also the year it was held at Olympia and I got an award of merit for it.