butterflywing

does anyone know anything about betty cotton and her cotton theory? she developed a reversible quilt technique whereby only sections are done at one time. i once saw one in a lqs window, but i forget how it worked.

she has two books, the cotton theory quilting and the cotton theory quilting 2, but i don't want to buy them and my library doesn't have them. any
clues out there?

retrogirl02

I have not heard of cotton theory but do know that Georgia Bonesteel is famous for her lap quilting methods similar to today's quilt as you go. Is this what you're looking for?

butterflywing

thanks lorretta. but when i saw the cotton one it looked like all the seams were somehow raised to three dimensions and then somehow machine stitched down.

the panels had been finished individually completely and then somehow attached as tho they were single layers of fabric with a seam allowance. but i cant remember how that happened.

crashnquilt

If you go to Nancy Zieman's website, nancysnotions.com you can watch the whole series of shows by Betty Cotton.

I have used this method and it is neat, but it will create a somewhat stiff quilt because of the seams.

When I did the Cotton Theory quilting, I bought Hobbs 80/20 batting and cut the 18 inch strips myself. Gave me more money to spend on thread! WOO HOO

butterflywing

thank you so much. i'm going to look for it right now!

butterflywing

i see a whole video playlist but there is a fee to either watch it or to buy the book - whichever.

if you know the sequence for getting it, that i'm just not catching on to, can you tell me? i would really like to see it in action.

it is possible, of course, that it's not there any more. or that what used to be free isn't any more.

krabadan

I have many of her patterns, books and the DVD and have made four of the quilts. I love the technique.

butterflywing

okay...as i understand it, you cut strips of fabric and batting. you quilt the sandwich you have made from them, leaving seam allowances. then do you finish the edge before you go on to repeat? i cant picture how to get that raised edge in the middle of the quilt. it looks like each section is completely finished as an entire quilt, binding and all. then two sections are attached as blocks, with a seam. the 'seam' is the part that sticks up and then gets sewn down with a decorative stitch. right? wrong? duh!

are the sections sewn together as an envelope quilt and then attached with a raised seam allowance that gets stitched down?

am i ready for the nuthouse? am i from mars? delusional? does this theory really exist?

lyndawn

I've never done cotton theory, but I have done quilt as you go. I just sew one block together, layer it, and quilt it. Then, as I go along, I fold back the batting and backing and sew those blocks together. Then whipstitch the backing together. I am really not good at explainging things, but it really is easy.

Here is one link I found. This is how I do it.
http://welshquilter.blogspot.com/200...as-you-go.html

krabadan

One inch seams are sewn together, wrong sides together, then folded in and secured with a zigzag or other decorative stitch.