Pieced, or patchwork quilts are probably the most common type of quilts. On a patchwork quilt, the maker cuts fabrics of different colors or prints and then sews them back together according to a specific pattern, such as Log Cabin, Pinwheel, or Eight Pointed Star.

There are several distinct piecing techniques. Makers may piece by hand, or with a sewing machine. Some types of quilts, including Log Cabins and Crazy quilts, lend themselves to “foundation piecing,” a technique in which small pieces of fabric are stitched to ground fabric. Another method, paper piecing, was popular among English quiltmakers when constructing mosaic style patchwork.

In recent years, quiltmakers have adopted new adaptations of existing technologies including the rotary cutter and the die cutter, along with specialized techniques such as chain piecing and strip piecing, to expedite the process of cutting fabrics apart in order to stitch them back together.