An array of the nation’s best quilters will gather under one roof to display their stitched masterpieces July 6-8 at the Long Beach Convention Center during the International Quilt Festival.
Based in Houston, the International Quilt Festival travels to medium-sized cities nationwide, with Long Beach serving as its expansion epicenter on the west coast.
The festival was held annually in Long Beach from 2009 until 2013, and after a nine-year break, the festival returned to Long Beach in 2022 with the goal of rebuilding it into an annual fixture in the city.
Bob Ruggiero, vice president of Communications for Quilts Inc., the organizer of the International Quilt Festival, has attended every International Quilt Festival held in Long Beach.
Ruggiero says the majority of quilts today have shifted from a utilitarian purpose to a complex artform. Seeing these pieces in person allows people, even those unfamiliar with quilting, to appreciate the meticulous patterns that make quilting such a spectacularly detailed practice.
“The cool thing about seeing [the quilts] live is you can get up close and actually see all the stitchwork, whether it’s handmade or machine-made, that pictures just don’t do justice,” Ruggiero said.
The festival will feature 400 quilts across 33 special exhibits, 200 plus vendor booths selling quilts, fabrics, sewing machines and more, along with a selection of 33 hands-on, instructional classes for quilters of all levels.
Among the special exhibits debuting on display in Long Beach is “The Sporting Life,” an homage to sports and its legendary superstars by Nate Robbins. A highlight of the exhibit is “The Sun on the Next Traveler’s Horizon,” a quilted piece depicting basketball icon Kobe Bryant that emulates a famous photo of the Black Mamba taken by Los Angeles Times photographer Wally Skali.
Another quilter whose work will be on display is acclaimed art quilter Andrea Brokenshire, whose collection “Flower Power – Contemporary Painted Florals” showcases her ability to bring detailed botanical imagery to life with stunningly realistic quilts. Brokenshire won’t be in attendance at the festival, but her work will certainly speak for itself.
“The cool thing about seeing [the quilts] live is you can get up close and actually see all the stitchwork, whether it’s handmade or machine-made, that pictures just don’t do justice.”
Bob Ruggiero, vice president of Communications for Quilts Inc.
Brokenshire has been sewing her whole life, but she quickly became passionate about quilting in 1995 after being convinced by a friend to make a quilt for the first time. She began practicing applique quilting, which is when piece(s) of fabric are attached by needle or hand to a larger background to make a pattern or picture.
Around 2004, Brokenshire became seriously ill with toxic shock syndrome, and by default, she had to put her artistic passions on hold. Once her health improved a few years later, Brokenshire eased back into quilting with a renewed purpose, intent on taking a whimsy, flowery direction, inspired by her educational background in zoology and her mother’s work as a master gardener.
With an interest in making one-of-a-kind flower-laden quilts, she crafts her pieces with the impressionist landscapes reminiscent of Claude Monet and the flora focus of Georgia O’Keefe’s richly complex flower paintings.
Passiflora: Find Joy, Live Your Passion 2021, 43” x 43” (Courtesy of Andrea Brokenshire) 
Orange Crushed It, 2019, 39”x 49” (Courtesy of Andrea Brokenshire) 
Stargazer Splendor, 2019, 49” x 35” (Courtesy of Andrea Brokenshire) 
Chilli Beanies, 2020, 17” x26” (Courtesy of Andrea Brokenshire) 
Desert In Spring, 2021, 54” x 43” (Courtesy of Andrea Brokenshire) 
Augustinii 2022 49” x 41” (Courtesy of Andrea Brokenshire) 
Dogwood-The Promise 2023. 67”x43” (Courtesy of Andrea Brokenshire)
“I started to make things [just] because I wanted to make them and flowers to me represented kind of like my second birth,” Brokenshire said.
Brokenshire’s quilting method can be broken down into two styles: applique, and wholecloth (meaning a completely painted piece on silk fabric that is then quilted).
When making a new painted quilt, Brokenshire begins by taking photos of her floral subjects and pushing herself to try new painting techniques. She uses shadow, light and texture along with her extensive botanical knowledge to create something intricately detailed that bursts with authenticity on a two-dimensional surface.
Once she is finished painting on the silk fabric, her focus shifts to the quilting, which takes up the bulk of her time and is done using a Domestic Sewing Machine with a stationary needle. This process can take roughly 6-8 months to complete, Brokenshire said, depending on the size of the quilt. It can be as therapeutic as it is intensive, but these steps are necessary to bring her quilts to life.
“The painting gives [the quilt] the structure … and gives it its meaning, but the stitching is what brings it to life,” Brokenshire said “It’s what gives [the quilt] its texture and its flow and makes all the parts of the painting sync.”
The progression of her unique skill set is an essential part of her “Flower Power” collection. Viewers can trace her painted quilt origins with the sunflower-starring “Three’s Company” (2010) all the way to her most recent entry, “Dogwood – The Promise” (2023), which will be on display for the first time in Long Beach.
The Long Beach edition of the International Quilt Festival will take place at the Long Beach Convention Center (300 E. Ocean Blvd.) from July 6-8. Each day, the festival will be open to the public from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., with daily admission tickets ranging from $12-$15 and 3-day passes costing $35.
For more information regarding the festival’s special exhibits, vendors, classes and ticket options, visit their website.