In template piecing—sometimes called “mosaic patchwork” due to the small pieces stitched together to create an overall design—the maker wraps fabric over paper templates and whipstitches the individual pieces together.

In this example, the quiltmaker “fussy cut” the individual hexagons to display the printed designs of the fabrics. This quilt style was a popular sort of “fancy work”—needlework that did not serve a practical function—during the third quarter of the 19th century.