About Marilyn Doheny

I was born and raised in Long Beach California, moving to Seattle as a young bride of 18 with my high school sweetheart. While in Seattle I became a quilter and the proud mother of three children. I began quilting in 1980, when the first of my three children was born. The first and only quilting class I ever took was eight weeks long and involved making one pinwheel pot holder. I actually never finished that potholder but before the end of that eight week class, where the potholder would have been sandwiched, hand quilted, and then bound, I was employed by a fabric store and began teaching quilting myself! That was just the beginning.

Today, I am a self-made, internationally famous contemporary quilt artist. I’ve written over 30 books and patterns. I invented specialty rulers such as the 45 Degree Kaleidoscope Wedge and 9 Degree Circle Wedge Ruler, and my  innovative teaching style has transformed the world of quilting. My products sell worldwide and my mission is to inspire everyone who uses them. 

Flourishing, appreciation, joy, creativity, empowerment, and thriving are real experiences in my daily life and for anyone in my company. My motto is simple: If you are not having fun, then you are not doing it right!

In January 2010, I purchased an historic Bed & Breakfast built in 1889. It was situated in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina and is named Marilyn’s Melrose Inn. It’s a gorgeous backdrop and where I held my all-inclusive quilting retreats. In these retreats I teach professional quilters, shop owners, and teachers to have fun and make a healthy living offering my classes via their skills. I also have retreats for non-professionals too! Productivity and fun are the theme of each session. Everyone goes home with significant work accomplished and enough excitement to light up their lives! I am off to new exciting adventures.  Stay tuned for more information.

The Inn was lost in a fire in 2019.  Scroll down for more information on the fire.

Recovery from a Fire

In 2018, I experienced a devastating fire which destroyed my life’s work as an artist, author, teacher, art collector and chef. This fire, a 7 – alarm blaze lasted 21 days as my publishing inventory of books, patterns and specialty rulers continued to burn. I was left homeless with the cloths on my back.

The entire Historic Melrose Inn was my dream come true….it was a 25,000 square foot – 19-bedroom, 26-bathroom Quilting Center finally manifested.  It facilitated my Quilters Retreat Center in Tryon N.C.  This historic beauty is now only a memory with all my possessions. Over 1,000 quilts and all teaching supplies – up in flames.  A magnificent collection of art decorating the entire Melrose Inn including the 19 unique and individually themed bedrooms – each with their own private baths. There was NO insurance. I was unable to ensure the building or contents because the fire department told the assorted insurance agents. 1. They are volunteers and would never make it. 2. The structure was old and when firetrucks arrived (if there was a fire ), they would focus on keeping the buildings on either side safe.   Which is what (all) they did.

All of my published inventory was destroyed……financial ruin was immediate! I had 37 guests checking in the very next day, for the World Olympic Equestrian Games. They too were devastated. My ability to recover in any way was beyond my means financially, logistically, and emotionally. My published items included over 47 titles (10,000 – 30,000 of each title) in addition to my 7 specialty rulers. Which by the way are a petroleum product – BOY DO THEY BURN, fossil fuel!!!  No inventory to sell to recover and ultimately reinvest in replacement publications! With the assistance of my friend and bookkeeper, Bindu Johnson, we began to purchase (from around the world) 1 copy of each book and pattern I published, from private individuals.  They are my only source to re-print from. Someday I hope to have these amazing items back in print for quilters to enjoy.

The small inventory which remained in Seattle Washington has finally been arranged to be shipped to a private warehouse in Tryon N.C. It has been a long and challenging journey of recovery in every way imaginable.

What kept me going was – Guess What?  Soul searching as to finding value in my recovery & of course Quilting!!!  I borrowed a machine and worked with donated fabric. I moved 13 times inside of the first year and sewed 6-12 hours a day.  Finally, I am BACK! Have made some amazing quilts in the process and have regained dynamic enthusiasm for sharing my talents and skills via inspiring classes, lectures, and retreats. Please consider having me come to your guild or local quilt shops ,  I am ready!

The cost of petroleum – due to recent political situations – has massively escalated the cost to produce my quality 9 Degree Circle Wedge Rulers and my 45 Degree Wedge Ruler. They will be the first products to be “re-published/manufactured”. Please know this causes an extensive retail increase.

What I like to remind you of, when considering the purchase of my rulers…and their costs, is that I provide instructions for the use of the tools with the purchase.  The 9 Degree Circle Wedge Rulers each come with over 20 individual techniques and wedge designs on the instruction board PLUS 15 more for FREE online! Let’s do some math, 35 patterns and a ruler for 1 price……less than $1.00 -$ 1.50 a pattern and THE RULERS ARE FREE!!!!

Questions??? Please e-mail me directly and say, “Quilter – student question” in the subject line.

marilyn@marilyndoheny.com    Phone  864 457-6584