Mary
Beale: How long have you been stitching? Who taught you to stitch?
Wendy Osenton: " I have been stitching for more than 50 years. I was taught mostly by my grandmother and at school in England."Mary Beale: Do you mainly cross-stitch or needlepoint?
Wendy Osenton: "I love all kinds of needlework. I mostly work on Surface work and Stumpwork at present but I am always drawn back to counted work by your designs. They have great appeal for me."Mary Beale: Do you stitch mainly for yourself or others?
Wendy Osenton: "Mostly for my own pleasure but I do part with a few things to special people."Mary Beale: What is the biggest needlework project you have ever undertaken? Did you keep it or give it away?
Wendy Osenton: "Probably my stumpwork pieces. I always design and stitch my own pieces. "Mary Beale: Which Mary Beale design have you stitched? Have you stitched more than one?
Wendy Osenton: "I have stitched the Christmas ornaments, the stitcher's pocket, the wall pocket and the scissor keeper."Mary Beale: Do you have a favorite? Why?
Wendy Osenton: "The favorite one I have stitched is my 'Wall Pocket'. All of my friends admire it. I also love the choices of colors that you use in your designs. My pocket hangs on a drawer pull in my living room."
Wendy Osenton: "I was introduced to your pieces at my favorite needlework store and immediately signed up for your 'original' Pocketbook Needleworks'. A very dear friend and I stitched our pockets together. That same friend died last month and I shall always think of her when I look at mine. "Mary Beale: What do you collect?
Wendy Osenton: "I have a collection of antique sewing tools and boxes. I collect small milk jugs and tea pots. I also love chiming clocks but my collection is small. I also have a collection of laces, some are works in progress from a special aunt who was never able to finish them."
Mary Beale: Do you
have any special old needlework in your home such as old samplers, Victorian
or vintage beaded bags, etc?
Wendy Osenton: " I have a piece from the Royal School of Needlework that was worked in the early 1930's as a final exam piece. The stitcher received a 'merit' pass for her work. It hangs on my sewing room wall."Mary Beale: Do you pursue any other artistic endeavors such as painting, gardening, interior design, etc?
Wendy Osenton: "I am passionate about my garden. My carrer was spent as a school teacher. While in England I taught 'needlework' to the children and it was amazing how well the childen of 7 and 8 could stitch. Needless to say when I arrived in Canada this wasn't part of the school curriculum. I felt it a pity that these young eager minds could not have the same advantages. It is the perfect time to sew the seeds of treasures that will last a lifetime. "
