Quilting Day at Hartzell Propeller

My husband is an engineer for Hartzell Propeller, a wonderful facility in Piqua, Ohio. The building is relatively new and absolutely pristine and gorgeous. As you enter the building, 5 large oil paintings by Katherine Hurley of Cincinnati the called Pilot's View show the sky, the Piqua airport, the Dayton skyline and in her wonderful style. I'd love to study under her some day.

When you come to the "All Hands Room" which is an all purpose room, usually used as a lunchroom and for the quarterly meetings, you see this great handwoven rug. Designed by the wife of one of the Hartzell employees, Mary Frances Rodriguez, it illustrates several of the props, current and old, that Hartzell manufactures. Hartzell was propeller maker to the Wright Brothers, and makes a variety of variable pitch props.

Twice a year, as a spouse of a Hartzell employee, I reserve the room on a Saturday for the Batty Binders to come in and work. Usually, I reserve it in November so that people can get a jump on Christmas gifts that they don't want to work at at home. We usually have a small group of about 10 or so people and it always makes me laugh when they come for the first time. They can't believe how gorgeous the place is and how great it is for quilting.

You can see the great windows which look out on a small pond. Lots of things were accomplished. I even got to work on becoming a practically perfect quilter by being given the option to un-sew in order to make perfection. Too bad I had to rip out ....err...un-sew....the same seam three times. You'd think I'd get it right. I'll blame it on chemotherapy drugs and the fact that I am working on a traditional piece, a "stack and whack" dahlia or Dresden plate I started a year and a half ago as a present for my mom. I want to get it done in time for Christmas...somehow I think I'm dreaming.