Usually you use one shape patch for the entire quilt. For example, a diamond which would make a tumbling blocks quilt. Or an isosceles triangle which would make a thousands pyramid quilt. Or, it could be squares.
Once you have decided on the shape of your block, you start cutting and sewing fabric. The hitch is that each piece of fabric is different - no two are alike. For example, I am making a tumbling blocks charm quilt using a piece of every fabric in my collection.
In order to get that many difference fabrics, some quilters exchange fabrics, or simply continue to add onto their quilt for years, as I am doing.
I'm not sure how it got its name, but my guess is that it is like a charm bracelet - you collect one of each and add it on.
Happy Quilting!
Penny Halgren
www.TheQuiltingCoach.com
