Certain signal classes such as audio signals call for signal representations
with the ability to adapt to the signal's properties. In this article we
introduce the new concept of quilted frames, which aim at adaptivity in
time-frequency representations. As opposed to Gabor or wavelet frames, this new
class of frames allows for the adaptation of the signal analysis to the local
requirements of signals under consideration. Quilted frames are constructed
directly in the time-frequency domain in a signal-adaptive manner.