Definition

Noun: A patchwork quilt is a type of bed covering made by sewing together many small pieces of fabric of different colors, patterns, and textures. The pieces are arranged to create a decorative design.

Usage

The term "patchwork quilt" refers specifically to the finished textile object. It is used to describe both the craft technique and the resulting product, often valued for its aesthetic, historical, or sentimental qualities. - She spent months sewing a beautiful patchwork quilt for her granddaughter's wedding gift. - The antique patchwork quilt on the bed was a family heirloom.

Advanced Usage

• Cultural and Historical Significance: A patchwork quilt can represent community effort (e.g., a "quilting bee"), tell a story through its patterns, or serve as a historical record of fabrics and styles from a particular era.
  • The museum's exhibit featured a patchwork quilt that documented the history of the local textile industry.

Variants and Related Words

• Quilt (n): A warm bed covering made of padding enclosed between layers of fabric and kept in place by lines of stitching. A patchwork quilt is a specific type of quilt.
• Patchwork (n): The art or process of sewing small pieces of cloth together to form a pattern or design. This term can also refer to any assembly of diverse elements.
  • The agreement was a political patchwork of compromises.

Synonyms

• Comforter (though this typically refers to a quilt that is not necessarily made via patchwork)
• Coverlet
• Bedspread

Related Idioms and Phrases

• A patchwork of: This phrase uses the core idea of "patchwork" to describe something composed of a variety of different, often disparate, parts.
  • The novel presents a patchwork of narratives from different characters.
  • The state is a patchwork of farmlands and small towns.

Noun

1. a quilt made by sewing patches of different materials together