Catherine Marion – Owner, Quilter

I design, create and quilt all of the specialty and theme quilts that we sell.  I also do all the free

hand longarm work on our client's quilts.  I have enjoyed quilting for fifteen years and have been

a seamstress for over thirty years.  I am now having the pleasure of working with others on their

quilt-works-of-art.  My husband and I are quite honored to partner with our clients, and to share

our knowledge and experience with so many talented people.

When I am not busy in my studio with client quilts (or on the rare occasion one of my own), I

stitch charity quilts, such as solder quilts, for my guild.  I am always looking for a way to give back

to my family, friends and community.

Neal Marion – Owner, Pattern Designer

While the world of quilts is relatively new to me, I am

connected through the design and execution end of our

longarm quilting business.  My expertise is designing

quilting patterns and digitizing them so that our

machine can stitch the custom design.  Our wholecloth

heirloom quilts start with my patterns and are then

finished with Catherine’s freehand work.

My background in graphics software engineering is a

great match for our business. The patterns that I digitize

are stitched by the Compu-Quilter computer assist

program on our longarm quilting machine.  They are

available for sale to other Compu-Quilter owners and

are available to all our clients for use on their orders.

We can also do custom designs from a photo or a

drawing.

When I’m not working full-time at IBM, or working on patterns for the Compu-Quilter, my

interests include digital photography, history and travel.  I find that I “see” quilting patterns in

almost everything from leaves to ironwork on buildings.

Together we enjoy traveling and spending time with our Miata Club friends as well as with our

cat, Psycho, who enjoy running our lives.

Why Elegant Counterpanes?

Elegant Counterpanes’ name was inspired by a favorite children’s poem by Robert Louis

Stevenson.  A counterpane is a British bedspread or quilt.  If you have ever been to Great

Britain, you will recognize the "counterpanes" of the stone fences that are a hallmark of the

British landscape.

The Land of Counterpane

-by Robert Louis Stevenson

When I was sick and lay a-bed,

I had two pillows at my head,

And all my toys beside me lay

To keep me happy all the day.

And sometimes for an hour or so

I watched my leaden soldiers go,

With different uniforms and drills,

Among the bedclothes, through the hills.

And sometimes sent my ships in fleets

Up and down among the sheets;

Or brought my trees and houses out,

And planted cities all about.

I was the giant great and still

That sits upon the pillow-hill,

And sees before him, dale and plain,

The pleasant land of counterpane.