The Neon Trend: Nite Lites

Did the title of this post give you a quick flashback to the 80s? 
Big hair, layers of blue eye shadow, and clothes in day-glo colors?

Image: http://www.amazon.com/Womens-Love-The-80s-Shirt/dp/B0041EOTJO/ref=pd_sbs_a_1

Well, we're here to tell you that neon is making a run again! That's right, we're not just a fabric-loving blog, we're also up on what's new and hot in the world of style. Don't believe us? Take the word of Andrea, the former fashion industry professional turned style blogger over at For the Love of...
She first blogged about Neon Week last spring, followed up with a post called Real Women Wear Neon Too, and has been incorporating neon into her holiday decor (think pumpkins with neon accents on the Thanksgiving table, a white and "brite" nursery for her youngest son, and neon Christmas decor) ever since. 

If you've seen Ro Gregg's Marblehead Global Brights, you know that we are fans of the neon trend as well. If you haven't seen these vibrant fabrics yet, here you go:

Paired with a rich black background, these bright beauties really sparkle in the "Nite Lites" quilt, designed by Terry Albers and featured in the February-March 2013 issue of McCall's Quick Quilts magazine.

"Nite Lites" by Terry Albers

Terry talked about her latest quilt design with us.

Q. How did you come up with the design idea? And why did you choose black as the background?

Terry: This quilt began in a play session. Irene [a quilter friend] and I were laying out blocks on her design wall. She had a project going that we thought might be too busy. When I suggested the alternate blocks, we tried it with black to make the bright colors pop. It wasn't until I added the cornerstones that the sparkle happened.

Q. Where did the name for the quilt come from?

Terry: I had seen footage from a night dive where the sea lights up with bio-luminescence (creatures that create their own light in the deep) and chose ''Nite Lites'' for the name of the new quilt.

Q. How did you choose what brights to use?

Terry: Ro Gregg's line, Marblehead Global Brights, contains all the luminescent colors I was looking for. Each piece has so much depth of color that they really do sparkle against the black.

Q. How did you come up the idea for the machine quilting?

Terry: I planned the quilting into the negative space as I was designing. I knew I wanted a swirly effect using the variegated threads to echo the colors and increase the watery feel. Sandy knew just how to get the look I wanted.

Q. What are your plans for this quilt?

Terry: This quilt doesn't have its forever home yet but I'm dreaming up some new color combinations...all with lots of movement in the negative space. Maybe it will be a springboard into a new design for Ro Gregg's upcoming "Pleasing Pastels!"

Click here to learn more about designer Terry Albers of Hedgehog Quilts.
Click here to purchase a kit for this project.
Click here to download the pattern for a wall size version of Terry's quilt. (The quilt patterned in the magazine is lap size.)
Click here to find the February/March issue of McCall's Quick Quilts.