Jana Dohnalová: the visual for BPM 2025 exhibition was created using my favorite techniques
January 22, 2025 / 10:03 AM
I am a textile artist, though not by education; I became one through the calling of my heart and, above all, through intensive practice.
My professional journey began in law school and led me to a career as a lawyer before I realized this path wasn’t mine. Only then did I embark on the right one, which I’ve been following since 2012. Along this journey, I create unique textile accessories that bring color and joy into your life.
I also teach those who want to create such pieces themselves and find as much joy in textile art as I do.
When I first saw a patchwork quilt, I boldly declared that I’d never do anything like that. Well, I was wrong—though not entirely. While I occasionally create patchwork quilts, I’ve been captivated by free textile creation, which allows me to use any technique, interpret it in my way, and create an artistic piece.
I love combining techniques, often in unconventional ways. I usually forge my own path to bring the ideas in my head to life, without worrying whether it’s commonly done. What matters to me is the result, not established rules—I actually enjoy breaking them.
Some of my favorite techniques include free motion quilting, which I consider more than just an addition to patchwork; for me, it’s a standalone form of expression. I also love working with appliqué and frequently use various types of textile paints.
In fabric stores, I’m content with just black and white fabrics because I create everything else myself. Whether it’s using reactive dyes to color fabrics in various shades, colorful threads, or brushes and other textile paints, I make the palette my own.
The techniques I use in my work are also part of my extensive online courses. In these, you can learn free-motion quilting, fabric dyeing, or sewing appliqués.
In the online Textile Creation Club, you can sew many original projects with me, all of which I design and provide detailed instructions for.
The quilt Crossroads, which became the visual for the Brno Patchwork Meeting 2025 exhibition, was created by combining my favorite techniques: appliqué, fabric painting, trapunto, and free-motion quilting.
The design first came to life in my mind, and then I sought the means to make it a reality. It’s a somewhat complex combination of techniques and layering, but if you’d like to sew it yourself, you can easily do so with the detailed instructions in my online course Painted Trapunto.
The color palette is my favorite mix of bright colors with black. The colorful areas are painted with textile paints, enhanced by free-motion quilting with black thread, and given a three-dimensional effect with the trapunto technique. In this article, you’ll find more photos of the quilt, especially close-ups, as its three-dimensional quality truly stands out in detail.
Everything else I can offer you is available at https://janadohnalova.cz/
Follow me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/janadohnalova.textileartist/
