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Couching · Beginner

Couching

Couching fastens a thread to the surface of the fabric with small stitches made in a second thread. The laid thread only passes through the fabric at its two ends, so it can be thicker, more textured or more fragile than a thread you could stitch with.

How to work it

  1. Bring the thick thread up

    A dotted pattern line. A needle carrying the thick thread comes up at point A, the start of the line at the right.

    Thread the laid thread into a needle with a large eye and bring it up at A, at the start of the line. These pictures run from right to left.

  2. Lay it along the line

    The thick thread comes out at A and lies flat along the pattern line toward the left, held in place by a thumb.

    Leave the thread loose on the surface. Lay it along the pattern line and keep it there with your other hand while you stitch.

  3. Come up beside it with a second thread

    A second needle with a finer thread comes up at point B, right beside the laid thread on its lower side, a short way along from A.

    Thread a second needle with a finer thread. Bring it up at B, right against one side of the laid thread, a short way along from A.

  4. Go down on the other side

    The needle goes down at point C, straight across the laid thread from B, so a small stitch crosses the laid thread and holds it to the fabric.

    Push the needle down at C, straight across the laid thread from B. This small stitch holds the laid thread to the fabric.

  5. Tie it down at even spaces

    Three small stitches cross the laid thread at even spaces, working from right to left along the line.

    Move along the line and repeat, keeping the laid thread on the line as you go. Keep the tying stitches the same size and the same distance apart.

  6. Take the end to the back

    The finished line of couching: the thick thread lies along the whole line, tied down by four small stitches, and its end goes down through the fabric at point D.

    At the end of the line, thread the laid thread back into its needle and take it down at D. Fasten both threads on the back.

At a glance

Also called
couching stitch, plain couching, convent stitch
Used for
outlines and borders; cord, braid, ribbon and metal threads; curved and meandering lines; covering the edge of an applique shape; filling a shape with rows of laid thread
Thread
For the laid thread, use one thick thread or several strands held together, depending on how heavy you want the line. The tying thread is normally finer.
Needle
A chenille needle takes the laid thread through the fabric: it has a sharp point and a long eye. Use an embroidery (crewel) needle for the tying thread.

Tips

  • Space the tying stitches evenly along straight lines, and add extra stitches on curves and at sharp corners.
  • Come up and go down right beside the laid thread, one hole on each side. Using a single hole for both can pull the laid thread through to the back.
  • For ties that hardly show, use a thread in the same color as the laid thread. For a decorative line, use a contrasting color. The more the two colors contrast, the more uneven spacing shows.
  • For braid or thick cord, take the cut end through to the back with a large needle and secure it flat there.
  • The laid thread does not have to lie flat. You can slacken it and shape it for more texture.

When it goes wrong

The laid thread wanders off the line
Place the tying stitches closer together, with extra ones on curves and at corners.
The laid thread gets pulled through to the back
The tying stitch went down in the hole it came up through. Come up on one side of the laid thread and go down on the other.
Uneven spacing is easy to see
Choose a tying thread closer in color to the laid thread. The more the two contrast, the more the spacing shows.
The ends fray or will not go through the fabric
Use a chenille needle. Its long eye suits braids, metallics and other threads that tend to shred.

Left-handed

Work from left to right. Hold the laid thread with your right thumb and stitch with your left hand, mirroring the diagrams.

Variations

  • Trellis couching. Long threads are laid across a shape in a grid, and a small stitch ties them down at every crossing.
  • Bokhara couching. One thread does both jobs. It is laid across the shape, then tied down with small slanting stitches on the way back.
  • Decorative couching. The laid thread is tied down with cross stitches, blanket stitch or feather stitch in place of plain straight stitches.
  • Couched filling. Rows of laid thread are couched side by side until a shape is covered. Alternating the ties from row to row makes a pattern.

Patterns that use it

Questions

What is couching in embroidery?
It is a way of attaching a thread to fabric by laying it on the surface and stitching over it with a second thread. The laid thread itself is not stitched through the fabric, except at its two ends.
What thread do you use for couching?
Thick, textured or fragile threads all work as the laid thread: several strands of floss, wool, cord, braid, ribbon or metal thread. The tying thread is normally finer, in a matching or contrasting color.
How do you start and end a couched thread?
Bring the laid thread up at the start of the line. At the end, take both the laid thread and the tying thread through to the back and secure them there.
How far apart should couching stitches be?
At regular, even intervals. Add extra stitches on curves and at sharp corners.

Where to go next

Stitches

Guides