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
16 November 2018
New Videos Every Friday The Tent Makers of Cairo [...]
The Wotton Poppies – a final update
For those of you who have been following or joining in with the poppy project in Wotton, the knitted and crocheted poppies were put in place on St Mary's Church this week - in torrential rain!! Do watch this video to see how the endeavours of those in their community and from round the world have helped to create over 10,000 poppies to commemorate the lives of the 114 Wotton men who didn't return from the First World War.
Postcards from the front – a quilt that Valerie made
A friend found this amazing fabric which she kindly gave me and this was the first of a whole range of postcard quilts that I have been inspired to make. This particular quilt was donated to the Star and Garter Home, Richmond and was raffled at their summer fete. The Royal Star & Garter Charity have provided an outstanding quality of nursing and therapeutic care to ex-Service men and women.