American quilts throughout the years generally consisted of two types – “pieced” and “appliqued” although there were many variations.  The word “patchwork” often was used to encompass both types of quilts.
To make a pieced quilt top, the quiltmaker cut patches of specific shapes and sewed together to create a design throughout the quilt.
Quiltmakers created appliqued quilts by laying pieces of fabric on a colored or white background then stitched them to that material with fancy stitching to form a design.