patchwork
UK: ˈpætʃwɜːk | US: ˈpætʃwɜːrk
n. 1. A piece of cloth made by sewing together small pieces of fabric of different colors or patterns.
n. 2. Something composed of miscellaneous or incongruous parts; a hodgepodge.
The word "patchwork" combines "patch" (from Middle English "pacche," meaning a piece of material used to mend or cover a hole) and "work" (from Old English "weorc," meaning something created or constructed). The term emerged in the 17th century to describe textiles made by stitching together irregular fabric scraps, later metaphorically extended to describe anything assembled from diverse elements.
She spent the winter making a colorful patchwork quilt.
The report was a patchwork of ideas from different departments.
The landscape resembled a patchwork of fields and forests.
His jacket was a patchwork of denim and leather.
The policy proposal seemed like a patchwork of conflicting agendas.