Sewing Techniques

Couching

Couching is a great way to embellish with narrow trim, heavy thread, yarn, ribbon, cording or other materials that don’t fit through the eye of a needle. When couching you stitch trimmings or cord to – but not through – the surface of the fabric.

Couching is also good for metallic threads that might be damaged when stitched through a fabric. Lay the couching material on the right side of the fabric. Stitch across or through the couching material to secure it.

Preparation

Attach a tear-away stabiliser to the wrong side of the fabric. Install a cording foot and set the stitch width to the width of the trim or slightly wider.

Shorten the stitch length so you can stitch around tight curves. If the design features tight curves or corners, choose a couching material that is flexible and easily shaped.

HANDY HINT: For greater control while stitching, lower the feed dogs, insert the fabric in an embroidery hoop, and move the fabric with your hands as in free-motion embroidery.

Stitches

Choose a stitch that travels back and forth over the couching material, so it will secure the material to the fabric and keep the edges flat. In most cases, you can set your machine for a long decorative stitch with zigzag movement. Test the stitch on scrap fabric first to make sure it’s wide enough to cover the couching material.

Cording foot

A cording foot is a useful attachment when couching. It usually has a hole in the centre of the foot, through which the cord or trim is feed and then stitched over. You can also get 3, 5 and 7 hole cording feet so that a number of threads can be stitched over whilst being feed evenly and in parallel rows.

HANDY HINT: To adapt an open-toe presser foot for couching, wrap a piece of cellophane tape over the top of it. Puncture the centre of the tape to create a hole equal to the width of the trim and the stitch.

How to couch

1. Mark a placement line on the right side of the fabric with a fabric-marking pen.

2. Hand-baste or pin tear-away stabilizer to the wrong side of the fabric.

3. Insert the decorative material (yarn, beads, cording or other) through the opening in the front of the cording presser foot from front to back. If you have adapted an open toe presser foot, insert the material through the hole in the tape. If you are working with multiple threads, tie the ends together so they feed smoothly. Install the presser foot.

4. Thread the machine and needle with embroidery or sewing thread. Wind a bobbin with bobbin thread or other lightweight thread. Insert the bobbin.

5. Select a stitch and adjust the width so the machine stitches on either side of the couching material. Stitch slowly. As you guide the fabric, the decorative trim will feed through the presser foot.

6. Remove the stabiliser and finish the ends of the trim. To finish, either catch the ends in a seam or use a large-eye needle to pull the ends through the fabric to the wrong side. One the wrong side, either knot them, seal with liquid fray preventer or fuse a small patch of interfacing over the ends to hold them in place.

TIPS

• Zigzag stitch with invisible monofilament thread over strands of beads or sequins.
• Stitch a decorative stitch with contrasting thread over cording, narrow ribbon or a cluster of thin cords.
• Straight-stitch through flat braid such as soutache.
• Lay several threads together and feather-stitch over them with invisible thread to create a heavier line.

Further information

This technique has been reproduced from Singer’s Simple Decorative Machine Stitching book. This useful guide presents dozens of techniques and creative stitches that you will refer to again and again. Spiral bound for ease of use when sewing, Simple decorative Machine Stitching is published by CPI and the rrp is £12.99 (ISBN 978-1-58923-341-6).

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