Marilyn J. Leavitt was born August 1, 1946, in Youngstown, Ohio,[2] where she attended Ursuline High School.

[3] She was the daughter of Marcella (née O'Toole) and Earle Leavitt.

[2][4] Her professional design career began in the 1960s, working as an advertising and fashion illustrator for Strouss and Hartzell, Rose and Sons.

[6] In 2000, she publicly stated her opposition to the unlicensed sharing of needlework patterns on the Internet.

[7] She was married three times and had six children: Jeff, Nora, and Elizabeth Adams, Corriander Master "Corrie Ferenchak”,[8] and Matt and Sarah Imblum.