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
21 December 2018
New Videos Every Friday A textile exhibition by [...]
7 December 2018
New Videos Every Friday Gail Penberthy's Festive Tree Skirt [...]
See what our retreaters have been up to
A weekend away with Paula Doyle and Jennie Rayment can keep a group of quilters very busy and enjoying themselves - See what they got up to last weekend and if you're tempted come and join us at a retreat in 2019 Next year Jennie's teaching Octagons in March 2019 -click here for details and she's back in November 2019 with Paula - Jennie will be teaching the Lone Star Medallion Quilt and Paula will be Stashbusting - click here for details Be quick though - places go quickly Paula's Easy Stack Quilts - here are some before and after's Fanadoo!