Patchwork vs Quilting: What's the Difference?

Patchwork and quilting. Two words that are often used interchangeably - but are they actually the same thing?

If you're new to quilting, you've probably heard both. You may have nodded along while quietly wondering whether there really is a difference.

There is. Although, just to make things slightly more confusing, the two very often appear together.

Patchwork is the process of joining pieces of fabric together to create a larger piece of fabric. Those pieces might be simple squares, carefully cut triangles, hexagons or hundreds of tiny shapes pieced together to create an intricate design.

One of the most recognisable examples is the traditional patchwork quilt, where individual pieces of fabric are sewn together to create the decorative quilt top.

But patchwork doesn't have to become a quilt.

It can be used to make bags, cushions, clothing, wall hangings and all sorts of other textile pieces.

Quilting is the process of fastening layers of fabric together, traditionally with a layer of wadding or padding between them.

A quilt will have three layers:

The quilt top - the decorative top layer

The wadding - the middle layer that gives the quilt warmth, softness and dimension.

The backing - the fabric forming the reverse of the quilt.

Stitches pass through these layers to hold everything together.

But those stitches don't have to be purely practical. Quilting itself can become an important part of the design, creating pattern, texture and even imagery across the surface of a quilt.

It can be done by hand or machine, from simple straight lines to incredibly elaborate stitched designs.

Here's another word you'll encounter before long.

Rather than joining pieces of fabric edge-to-edge as you would with patchwork, appliqué involves attaching shaped pieces of fabric onto a background fabric.

Flowers, leaves, animals, people and geometric shapes can all be created this way.

And, of course, one quilt can contain patchwork and appliqué and quilting.

Nobody said we have to choose.

If you're just starting out, don't worry about knowing all the terminology before you begin. Quilting is something you learn by doing... and usually by asking plenty of questions along the way.

The Quilters' Guild brings together quilters of all abilities, from people threading a quilting needle for the very first time to makers with decades of experience.

Through our Regions, Special Interest Groups, talks, workshops, online resources and friendly community, there are plenty of opportunities to learn, ask questions and discover where quilting might take you next.

Ready to learn more? Explore our beginner quilting resources or discover how becoming a member of The Quilters' Guild can help you on your quilting journey.