“Dee Dee’s applique pictures Are ‘painted’ with cloth” from the August 25, 1964 Door County Advocate
Dee Dee’s applique pictures Are ‘painted’ with cloth
The applique pictures of Dee Dee Neuville (Mrs. Alton) of 1025 Rhode Island st., Sturgeon Bay have been finding favor.
Instead of painting pictures on canvas panels Dee Dee cuts out the various colors of the picture from cloth and sews them onto a background with tiny stitches. She draws the picture first on paper and then makes her own pattern. Bits of lace, scraps from home sewing, trimmings, floss and yarn all go into her creations.
DEE DEE NEUVILLE works on her latest appliqued picture. She also makes stuffed dolls and children’s clothing. —Advocate
One large picture she did has two little girls in old fashioned costumes. The dresses are made from embroidered eyelet material and the skirts are gathered at the waist to give a three-dimensional effect, with puffed sleeves and felt shoes. Faces are embroidered on pink percale and hair is usually yarn or embroidery floss. Pictures are then framed under glass.
She gets some of her ideas from children’s books and coloring books but draws her own ideas onto a paper pattern before cutting out any material. Some of the pictures she has already done are of a farm scene, the calico cat, and she is now working on an abstract with vivid colors where each seam is covered with narrow black tape to resemble a leaded window with colored glass panes.
Dee Dee has five children ranging in age from two to nine years of age. She sews most of the clothing for the girls and also makes shirts and other items for the boys.
Although she has never had any training in art, not even in high school, Dee Dee has made Christmas decorations for friends and neighbors and has also made room decorations for school for some of her children.
One of her latest projects is the making of small, cuddly dolls called Rainy Day Dolls for use of small hospital patients. They consist of a head with embroidered features and a body, slipped into a decorated bunting with a tiny pillow under the head. They are small, soft, and since they will be inexpensive can be disposed of in case of communicable disease or even a cold.
The season just before Christmas is of course her busiest time and she is busy until late at night sewing on pictures, doll clothes, toys and children's clothing.
She is always coming up with new ideas and her main problem is to find time to work them out.
Her applique pictures were on display at the recent Arts and Crafts show at Fish Creek.
[author not stated]
Courtesy of the Door County Library Newspaper Archive
Other artist profiles:
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