10 Questions - Marian Moody

When I joined Country School Quilters almost 16 years ago (!) I was a pretty new quilter and was intimidated by most of the people in CSQ. I knew if I just sat back and listened that I could learn more from this group of quilters than a dozen quilt books combined. It was true too! One of those "teachers" was Marian Moody. She, Dot and Becky eventually got me over my fear of hand applique. They haven't yet gotten me to take on hand quilting. If you ever get a chance to see Marian do a demo on hand quilting do not miss it!

This month we are getting to know Marian better and see a couple of her beautiful quilts.

1. If you live in Hanover (or the area), how many generations of your family have lived here and how did they come to settle here? If you moved here, where are you from and what brought you here?

I have only lived in Hanover since my teens . My family moved to Hanover after my father retired from the Navy and was sent to Richmond in his new job. He wanted a place in the country. I thought Hanover County was the end of the earth, the far end of the boondocks.

2. When you were young what did you plan to be when you grew up and what happened with those plans?

My first memories of what I wanted to be when I grew up was a Navy Wave. I thought they looked so cool in their uniforms. As I got older, I wanted to be a psychologist, and help people (don't laugh), until someone filled me in on how long I would have to go to school. Eventually, I knew I wanted an art career, and was accepted into the art school at VCU. I absolutely hated the VCU urban campus, and a long list of other things about it all, and did not last long. Soon, the love of my life decided he wanted to farm, and before I knew it, the girl who never went out without makeup and every hair in place was beside her husband milking cows, living in rubber boots and sweatshirts.   

3. What are your favorite things to do in the area?

My favorite things to do in the area, (besides shop for fabric) is to head for the mountains and explore the back roads of the Shenandoah Valley. I love the beach too, but I have sworn off getting fried to a crisp. But nothing takes my breath away like the smell of the ocean.

4. What’s your favorite meal?

Favorite meal is lobster (hands down.)

5. What hobbies or activities do you do other than quilting? Where do you do them? How did you get involved with them?

As someone once said about my father, my hobby is hobbies. I have always enjoyed trying new things. But I realized a long time ago if I ever wanted to be good at anything, I needed to narrow my focus, and so quilting it became. I love being outside (in the sun frying) and I love flowers, so when I have time to devote to it, that is where you will find me, either sewing or working in the yard.

6. What’s your favorite vacation spot? Where do you want to go next?

No favorite vacation spots, but a long bucket list.. First on the list is a trip out west, mainly to visit the National Parks and see the red woods.

7. What saying best describes how you like to live your life?

 "Kindness matters."

8. Show us a photo (or photos) of where you create.

My youngest moved out last summer, and I began the redo for a sewing room. Then I started a physics class in August, and everything came to a screeching halt. I am so excited to be finished with school so I can resume work on my sewing room, I have been gleaning lots of ideas off of the internet. So, no big reveal until I am done.

9. Show us a photo of the quilt that’s on your bed right now.

The quilt on my bed right now is my Baltimore Album, which goes on the bed at Christmas time. I did this quilt while in a study group with Esther Lowry, Dot Holloway and Cathy Moody. Ask me sometime how that group got started. It is a good lesson in never believing you are not good enough...

10. What quilt is your least favorite quilt. Not necessarily the ugliest but the one that you liked the least or struggled with the most or just plain hated making. Why did you choose this one? Do you have a photo of it?

I don't have a least favorite quilt. Every quilt I have made is special to me, because it carries the memories of my life while I made it. I do, however, have a story about taking a judging class, and being selected to judge the ugliest quilt I ever saw. That was a big lesson in looking at a quilt objectively, under pressure, in front of an auditorium of people.

 

BONUS 11! What is your all time favorite quilt and why? Do you have a photo of it?

My all time favorite quilt is my Christmas quilt. Lessons learned with that as well. It was inspired by a Hallmark wrapping paper. No, it is an exact copy of a Hallmark wrapping paper. Should have been inspired enough to change it and create my own design. Only the borders are my design. Because it is a copy of a copyrighted work, I cannot show it in any show. But I will share it with you. The person who designed that wrapping paper had to have been a quilter. I dream of my grandchildren spending Christmas Eve sleeping under that quilt.