I am assuming that "patchwork" quilting was what American quilting contributed to the art. The early settlers had to purchase all of their fabric from the "old country" before the textile industry was established in the "new world". The woman made the most of every scrap of fabric that was not made into clothing. They probably also used any usable scraps or leftovers from the garments they made to make quilts. Producing fabric in the home was a long and strenuous project. It might involve carding wool that you first had to shear from a sheep and wash before it was ready to weave into cloth. Home weaving required a loom and space to set it up. Growing and processing cotton or linen to make cloth was equally as labor intensive. Not a scrap of fabric would be wasted.