Helga Curtis and the "Saw Grass Studio Quilters" sponsors the annual Hernando County Recreation Department Quilt Show in December in Teen Hall at the Recreation Center. The show starts at 10am and runs indoors until 3pm.

Quilting, as any advanced quilter can tell you, is a true American art form. Colonial women began making quilting into the advanced form of truly American art that it is today. During an earlier presidential administration patterns for American quilts were shipped to China to help trade negotiations. Battle raged for many years therafter between the quilting guilds in the USA and congress to have this situation reversed. Many American women's cottage industries were hurt by this stupid act of sending the industry to China without consideration for the harm it would do to the American artists. Much of the battle to stop this activity was led by Helga Curtis (pictured below, left) who is mentioned over 200 times in the Library of Congress for her efforts to protect this American cottage industry and American art form.

Jan Huddleson (www.pupsnpictures.com), pictured seated right, giving a talk and showing some of the items available inside at the show. The table has patterns, books and decorative hand made items available.

The show includes an open area outdoors by the main entrance to the event where the Creative Quilters of Citrus County, Florida display their own wonderfully intircate quilts (below) being raffled to benefit Hospice of Citrus County. When the Christmas Parade and Christmas them Bandshell Bash coincide with the quilt show, no outside vending is available. Call Helga or the Hernando County Recreation Department for more information.

Additional quilts designed and displayed at the Hernando Quilt Show in the Hernando County Recreation Department in the heart of the City of Brooksville. Helga Curtis, right, in blue. The Recreation Department runs many programs throughout the year for children and adults to participate in.

Many thanks go out to the Hernando County Recreation Department for hosting the Quilt Show, and particular thanks go to Penny Oliver, Recreation Specialist. Penny can be reached at pennyo@hernandocounty.us (352) 754-4031 for requests to host other culturally significant events in Brooksville. At last years quilt show Penny worked at the Carousel for Kids with volunteers outdoors at the Bandshell where childrens sack races, jump rope, singing contests, dancing contests, musical talent and many other fun games were played by about a dozen children. Penny was the official face painter for the event.