Couching Stitch
Couching, or the couch stitch, is another type of stitch used to add dimension to your work. It is found in all types of hand embroidery, including cross stitch. It is used as a bolder border or outline, and for adding embellishment and dimension to your projects. As you can see in my picture, I frayed out one end of the base thread to give it a whole different looking embellishment. You can use this stitch to make tassels. For a bigger looking “knot”, try doing a couple of tacking stitches in the same place near the end of the tassel. Then use normal tacking stitches throughout the rest of the thread.
Place a full six (6) stranded piece of embroidery floss or other type of cording, yarn or thread on your work where you want it to be. Arrange it with all the desired contours and curves to ensure it is the right length.
Knot your working thread. Using one (1) strand of the same color of embroidery floss or thread, tack the larger floss or cording down at regular intervals, about one (1) inch apart. Do this by coming up from the back of your work along one side of your thick strand, and going back down on the other side of that strand into the same place you came up. This encloses the thick thread in the loop made by your tacking thread. Pull snug, but not too tight. You do not want your little “tacking” stitches to show. If you use the same color tacking thread as base thread, the finished piece of couching will look like it’s just a thick piece of thread floating on your work. If you pull too tightly, it will pucker the thick strand, and make it look wavy. Use your tack stitches to create the contours of your thick thread. In areas that are more curved, use more, closer together, tacking stitches. In areas that are straight, use less, farther apart, tacking stitches. On your last tacking stitch, pull your thread to the back and tie off. Here are a couple of examples of how to incorporate couching into your embroidery to add dimension. You can see how I used this stitch in both the tassel on the wizard's staff, and the loop holding his keys. I tightened the tacking stitches a bit on the loop so that it has an almost chain-like look. Click here, or click on the picture to see the entire finished project.
For a variation to this stitch, you could use a contrasting color to secure your base thread or cord as I did in my examples.
Multiple pieces of embroidery floss or cording can be laid side by side and tacked in separately, or together. The above picture shows some possible stitch variations and combinations. Also, instead of using little tacking stitches you could secure the embroidery floss or cord with
The uses and variations to this couching stitch are just about limitless. If you can dream up a new variation, use it! You never know, you may start the next new trend in hand embroidery. Return to Hand Embroidery Stitches ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ Want to ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ Return to Embroidered Gifts |
