, ▁but ▁it ▁came ▁into ▁the ▁English ▁language ▁from ▁the ▁French ▁word ▁cu il te . ▁ ▁American ▁qu il ts ▁ ▁In ▁American ▁Col onial ▁times , ▁qu il ts ▁were ▁pre domin antly ▁whole - cl oth ▁qu il ts — a ▁single ▁piece ▁of ▁fabric ▁layer ed ▁with ▁batt ing ▁and ▁backing ▁held ▁together ▁with ▁fine ▁need le work ▁qu il ting . ▁Bro der ie ▁per se ▁qu il ts ▁were ▁popular ▁during ▁this ▁time ▁and ▁the ▁ ▁majority ▁of ▁pier ced ▁or ▁app liqu ed ▁qu il ts ▁made ▁during ▁the ▁ 1 1 7 0 – 1 8 0 0 ▁period ▁were ▁med all ion - style ▁qu il ts ▁( qu il ts ▁with ▁a ▁central ▁orn amental ▁panel ▁and ▁one ▁or ▁more ▁borders ). ▁P atch work ▁qu il ting ▁in ▁America ▁dates ▁to ▁the ▁ 1 7 7 0 s , ▁the ▁de cade ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁gained ▁its ▁independence ▁from ▁England . ▁These ▁late - e igh teenth - ▁and ▁nin ete enth - century ▁patch work ▁qu il ts ▁often ▁mixed ▁w ool , ▁sil k , ▁lin en , ▁and ▁cot ton ▁in ▁the ▁same ▁piece , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁mixing ▁large - scale ▁( o ften ▁ch int z ) ▁and ▁small - scale ▁( o ften ▁cal ico ) ▁patterns . ▁Some ▁ant ique ▁qu il ts ▁made ▁in ▁North ▁America ▁have ▁worn - out ▁blank ets ▁or ▁older ▁qu il ts ▁as ▁the ▁internal ▁batt ing ▁layer ,