Bonanza: A Modern Triangle Quilt Pattern
The Bonanza quilt pattern is a modern Triangle quilt pattern featuring Triangle in a Square quilt blocks! The pattern is great for intermediate level quilters, and a really fun way to continue expanding your quilt block experience.
The Bonanza Pattern includes templates for cutting the triangle shapes, but you can also use rulers or AccuQuilt if you prefer! Keep reading below to find out more!
Find out more about the Bonanza quilt pattern by watching this video or read more below:
Bonanza Quilt Sizes
Bonanza is a modern triangle quilt pattern that includes 3 sizes. The quilt pattern includes Crib, Throw, and Bed sizes, which are all the same design scaled up or down to make the different size quilts. Here are the dimensions of each size in the quilt pattern:
- Crib: 48″ x 52″
- Throw: 72″ x 78″
- Bed: 96″ x 104″
Designing the Modern Triangle Quilt
The original design for the Bonanza quilt was inspired by a watercolor photo I found on Pinterest. Check it out here. I find that I am often inspired by watercolor or other art – I especially love turning a free-hand image into something more geometric for quilting! Once I found this fun, triangle watercolor image I knew I just had to figure out how to turn it into a quilt.
I immediate grabbed my graph paper journal and started sketching, using the grid as a guide for shapes and sizes that would translate well into a quilt pattern. Once I had the basic design shell built out, I started playing with colors and placement. Check out some of my mock-ups later on this post!
If you want to play around with color placement, be sure to download the free coloring sheet. I love to use the ReColor app for an easy way to color it digitally.
Helpful Quilting Tutorials & Tools:
The Bonanza quilt pattern is an intermediate level quilt pattern, featuring unique triangle shapes. If you’ve already mastered the classic Half Square Triangle, then this pattern will be a fun way to continue growing your skills!
Whenever I create a new quilt pattern, my goal is always that you will have success! If you are considering making the Bonanza quilt, even if you’ve never made these triangle blocks before, I’m here to make it easy for you! I offer as much help as possible, and I’ve got some awesome quilting tutorials for you!
Triangle Quilting Tutorials
I love making my modern quilt patterns easy to follow with lots of additional instruction. The Bonanza quilt pattern includes links to the tutorial videos, written instruction, and of course, lots of diagrams too! One of the greatest compliments I get from customers is that my quilt patterns provide clear instruction and that they are easy to follow.
If you are making the Triangles using Rulers or the templates inside the pattern, check out this tutorial for Triangle in a Square quilt blocks.
Alternatively, you might be using an AccuQuilt cutting machine to cut out your Bonanza Quilt pieces. If you are using dies to cut your fabric, you’ll find this AccuQuilt Tri-Rec tutorial particularly helpful.
Sewing Tools for the Bonanza Quilt Pattern
The Bonanza Quilt Pattern is a great modern quilt pattern using some fun Triangle shapes. You have the option to use templates, which are included in the pattern. However, I highly recommend using rulers or AccuQuilt to cut out your triangle shapes.
The Triangle in a Square rulers, also called Tri Rec rulers, work perfectly for this pattern. You can grab these rulers in my shop here that work for the Crib size or Throw size. You’ll want to get some larger rulers for the Bed size though. I personally recommend Creative Grids – use CGRTMT2 for the Center Triangle and CGRTMT3 for the Side Triangles.
Additionally, I always use Best Press on my fabric prior to cutting. The starch keeps the fabric from stretching when you are sewing your quilt piecing stitches on the bias – which is essential for making Triangle quilt blocks!
Alternatively, you could use an AccuQuilt Cutting Machine and skip the need for trimming altogether! The Bonanza quilt pattern includes AccuQuilt instructions and you can find out more about it below.
Using AccuQuilt for the Bonanza Quilt Pattern
I personally LOVE using my AccuQuilt fabric cutting machine whenever possible, and since this quilt uses some funky angles, an AccuQuilt is perfect for this quilt! The pattern includes alternate instructions and fabric requirements if you are using an AccuQuilt fabric cutting machine to make your Bonanza quilt.
To learn more about my favorite way to cut quilting fabric, check out Everything You Need to Know About AccuQuilt fabric cutting machines and also check out the Best AccuQuilt Dies.
The dies you will need to make Bonanza change depending on the size you are making. To make the Crib size Bonanza Quilt, you’ll want this set of dies. Alternatively, to make the Throw size check out this die set. The Bed size is not currently AccuQuilt friendly.
Fabric Requirements for the Bonanza Quilt Pattern
When it comes to fabric for quilting, I personally recommend quilting cotton. One thing you might want to keep in mind is that I do include a little bit of wiggle room in my fabric requirement calculations, and if you want to try using alternate fabric options just look at the cutting instructions once you get the pattern.
I played around with some mockups using the Recolor App on my phone and the Bonanza Quilt Coloring Sheet. Here are a few versions I think would be so fun to make!
Grab a Bonanza Quilt Kit
Do you want a quilt kit to make your own Bonanza Quilt? I have curated 2 kits for my shop. Check them out:
Rainbow Baby Crib Size Quilt Kit
Do you know what a “rainbow baby” is? A Rainbow Baby is a term used to describe a healthy baby that comes after loss such as miscarriage, still birth, or other infant loss. I’ve also heard the term used to describe babies that were adopted too. Whatever the case, the rainbow baby is a sign of hope and joy that comes after so much pain. I designed this rainbow baby quilt to be the perfect gift to new parents with their own rainbow baby.
I personally have some friends hoping for their own rainbow baby after having a couple miscarriages within the past year. I really can’t wait to be able to give them this quilt someday soon!
Grab a quilt kit to make your own rainbow baby quilt in my shop. Note: this quilt will be a great gift for any baby, whether or not they are a “rainbow baby”!
Strawberry Sunrise Throw Size Quilt Kit
If you’ve wanted to branch out from the classic white background fabrics but are a bit intimidated, this quilt kit is perfect! I used a light pink background which brings a fun sunset glow vibe to the quilt! The fabrics in this quilt kit are all PBS Painter’s Palette Solids and are so fun to work with.
The Quilt Kit includes fabric to make the quilt top, fabric for binding, and a printed booklet copy of the Bonanza pattern.
Quilt Pattern Tester’s Bonanza Quilts
The Bonanza quilt pattern would not be as clear & easy to follow without the help of some really great quilt pattern testers! These people work through all the pattern quilt math and give me tips for making the instructions more clear. Take a look at their beautiful Bonanza quilts!
Charlene @sweetgardeniaquiltco made this beautiful fall-inspired Bonanza Quilt. I love the idea of taking a quilt with to such cool places to get that perfect photo!
Belle from @seams_sew_me is a new tester to my team and she did an amazing job with this brightly colored quilt! This generous crib size quilt will be a gift to a woman Belle met recently to use as a lap quilt. Belle is currently building her own quilt pattern design business, so be sure to go check her out on Instagram to see her beautiful work!
I’m always a huge fan of the beautiful quilts my tester Laura from @sharingseams makes. Laura used the most fun neon fabrics for this crib size Bonanza Quilt!
My pattern tester Rebecca @rrquilts shopped her stash for these fun solids in green and blue to make her Bonanza Quilt. I really love these colors together! If you have some fabrics in your stash, I definitely recommend using them on this project.
Finally, my pattern tester Jodie used her AccuQuilt machine to make this darling crib size quilt for a baby girl! This quilt will look so great in her grand niece’s nursery!
I’d also love to give credit to Elisabeth from @elisabethquiltco and Katy from @lethargiclass for all their help editing the pattern too!
If you love the Bonanza quilt pattern and want to get it, click here!
