Quilts Inc. News

International Quilt Festival Arrives in Long Beach

LONG BEACH, Calif., June 26 PRNewswire — Summertime in California might mean hitting the beach for some, but for many of the 27 million Americans who claim quilting as a hobby, this summer's International Quilt Festival is what's making waves. The Festival, which attracts 70,000 quilters in Houston and Chicago annually, is making its West Coast debut at the Long Beach Convention & Entertainment Center this July 25-27 to cater to quilters in all corners of the country.

"Quilters are passionate about attending Festival, they plan for it for months, often traveling with their hometown quilting groups, and this gives quilters on the West Coast the chance to travel a little closer to home while hopefully attracting new attendees as well," says Festival Director Karey Bresenhan.

The Long Beach show, sale, and quiltmaking academy features more than 1,000 quilts, textiles, and wearable art on display; more than 90 hands-on classes, lectures, and special events; and shopping in hundreds of booths selling quilts, fabrics, books, notions, crafts, patterns, machines, and sewing supplies.

Quilt and textile art education are integral parts of the show. Taught by dozens of well-known instructors, scores of classes, lectures, and special events will take place as part of Festival's Quiltmaking Academy. Covering all quilting styles and skill levels, classes will also offer attendees the opportunity to explore quilting with other art media.

"To keep up with new techniques constantly emerging, Festival classes are a favorite among attendees because they cover everything from collage applique to surface design with dyes and paint and image transfer, giving quilters the educational tools to take home to their projects," says Bresenhan.

Within the Long Beach event is Make It University!(TM), a mixed-media pavilion featuring the arts of scrapbooking, rubber stamping, paper crafts, textile arts, and more. Developed in collaboration with Cloth Paper Scissors(R) magazine, Make It University!(TM) includes teaching showcases, workshop projects, vendors, artist studios, and special exhibits.

"We have seen an increase in the number of quilters who like to experiment with other artistic genres, so the Make It University!(TM) area offers quilters the chance to tap into new art forms. Quilters at all skill levels can watch artists create and sample new projects and techniques," adds Bresenhan.

Festival gives quilters the chance to not only exhibit their works and participate in classes to learn new tricks of trade, but it also allows them to share in the creativity and inspiration amongst friends, old and new. The real draw, of course, are all the quilts on display, more than 1,000 in Long Beach, luring quilters to stop in awe and chat with the artists. Festival attracts quilters from all ages from more than 30 countries along with visitors new to the industry. Four California-centric themed exhibits will make their debut in Long Beach: "West Coast Wonders," "Surf's Up!" "The Silver Screen," and "Everything Under the Sun."

"Festival attendees represent a variety of cultures, artistic tastes, and ages. Their love of quilts is the common thread," says Bresenhan.

Once considered a lost art, quilting has bounced back dramatically and is no longer considered a craft just for "grandmas" anymore. In fact, quilting has grown in popularity among all age groups thanks to technological trends and advancements, and according to the most recent Quilting in America(TM) survey, 17 percent of all U.S. households report at least one family member who quilts. For many of these quilters, International Quilt Festival is the highlight of the year.

For more information about International Quilt Festival, visit http://www.quilts.com. You can also e-mail shows@quilts.com or write Long Beach Festival, c/o Quilts, Inc., 7660 Woodway, Suite 550, Houston, TX 77063 or call 713-781-6864.

To the media: For more information or interviews, please contact Maggie Mae Armstrong, HMH, for Quilts Inc., (704) 323-4430 or maggiemaea@thinkhmh.com. For high resolution images, visit http://www.quilts.com/mediapage

SOURCE Quilts Inc.

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