What is the #midnightgardenquilt trend?

Hello, my quilty friends!

Have you noticed a whole lotta glow-in-the-dark garden vibes taking over your feed lately? You know the ones—inky black and navy backgrounds, neon flowers, moody owls and foxes, maybe even a cheeky little mushroom or two—all tagged with #midnightgardenquilt? Yeah, me too. So let’s talk about it, because this is more than a trend—it’s a whole mood.

It all started with a star block

Back in April 2020, quilter Elizabeth (aka @lizzymakes) invited her Instagram friends to join a little sew-along she called Night Quilt. The idea? Make blocks that looked like:

“wild things glowing after dark”

Now, if you’re wondering if there’s a an official pattern—kind of, but not really. Lizzy described it as a “mashup of multiple patterns plus improv layout and assembly.” Basically, she shared tips, inspiration, and her own progress as she went, but left tons of space for everyone to do their own thing. No sign-ups. No stress. Just post with the hashtag and dive into your stash.

I absolutely love @lizzymakes original "Night Garden" quilt:

↳ Night Garden Quilt by Elizabeth | @lizzymakes' Instagram Post

For her flower block, Lizzy used the Zinnia block by Lori Holt from Farm Girl Vintage 2, but she encouraged quilters to use any flower block they love. This whole vibe is scrappy, glowy, and delightfully choose-your-own-adventure.

↳ @stitchedbysaratallas | Instagram Post

The aesthetic grew like moonflowers

Soon enough, quilters were posting their own versions with new hashtags like #nightgardenquilt and eventually the crowd-favorite: #midnightgardenquilt. Pinterest caught wind, too. Boards started popping up, and Lizzy’s SAL got credited as the seed for this whole dreamy garden.

↳ @kathylooi55 | Instagram Post

From sew-along to full-on quilt bee

By 2024, things had outgrown the original SAL. Like, a lot. Quilters started forming full-on hives—year-long block swap groups where everyone mails out one magical, moody block a month. They post fabric pulls, happy mail, finished tops—you name it—all under the tag #midnightgardenquilt. So if your Explore page is a glowing field of firefly blocks, now you know why.

What is a Midnight Garden block?

Here’s the vibe checklist:

• Night-sky background – Think charcoal, navy, or true black. The darker, the dreamier.
• Pops of saturated color – Chartreuse stems, hot-pink petals, teal fireflies…you get it.
• A sprinkle of whimsy – Foxes, mushrooms, stars, owls. Pieced, appliquéd, or FPP’d.

There’s no official pattern or size. The magic is in the glow-up and the creativity.

Ready to grow your own midnight garden?

We made not one but two Midnight Garden Fat Quarter Bundles to help you get glowing without the guesswork:

Midnight Garden - Fat Quarter Bundle: Our full-sized bundle with 21 fat quarters, including:

• A dreamy mix of night-sky pattern prints (blacks, navies, stormy greys)
• Glow-up prints that pop against the dark—nearly neon in pinks, oranges, blues, and greens.
• Enough variety to make your whole garden quilt sparkle like moonlight through the trees

Midnight Garden Jr. - Fat Quarter Bundle: A smaller, 10 FQ version for testing the waters (or dipping your toes into the dew):

• Still moody. Still magical. Just a little less commitment.
• Perfect for minis, block swaps, or if your stash already leans spooky

Grab one, grab both, mix with your stash, go full scrappy—whatever fits your vibe.

Prefer a pattern?

Most of these beauties are improv or swaps, but if you're a pattern-lover, try these this one:

Midnight Garden by Heather Peterson – Layer-cake-friendly and flower-filled.

Use it as written or cherry-pick blocks to make it your own. That’s the beauty of this trend—it’s glowy, it’s spooky, it’s whatever you want it to be.

Happy making!

🩵 Holly