A thing composed of many different elements assembled together; needlework consisting of small pieces of cloth sewn together in a pattern.
English compound from 'patch' (from Middle English 'pacche') + 'work'. Originally referred to mending clothes with patches, then evolved to describe the decorative quilting technique. The figurative sense of something assembled from disparate parts developed in the 18th century.
Patchwork quilts were often called 'friendship quilts' because women would trade fabric scraps with each other, creating quilts that literally contained pieces of their community's clothing and memories. This craft transformed necessity (using fabric scraps) into art, making patchwork a powerful metaphor for resourcefulness and creativity.
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