Adorn fabric with color, texture and dimension as limitless as your imagination.
COUCHING IS A FUN,VERSATILE WAY to add artistic details to basic and elaborate fabrics alike. Discover what this centuries-old technique can do for a ready-made garment, or try it on your next sewing project.
The term "couching," derived from the 14th-century French verb couchier, is defined as "to embroider by laying thread flat on a surface and fastening it by stitches at regular intervals."
A look at the opulent clothing of 16th-century Europe illustrates how popular this embroidery form once was; the upper-class citizenry favored garments completely covered with couched and embroidered designs.
Today, couching refers to the technique of securing a yarn, cord or ribbon to fabric by sewing over the yarn with a simple zigzag or decorative stitch. Over the past five centuries, the only major changes to the couching process have been the welcome addition of the sewing machine and the widespread availability of new fibers and trims.
Applying trims can dramatically alter a fabric's appearance. This can be as simple as attaching a few yarns for light, subtle detail, or as involved as combining multiple yarn types for high-impact textural and dimensional interest. Couching makes it possible to create coordinating fabrics, hide unsightly mistakes or add body to an otherwise lightweight fabric. Armed with this technique and your own creativity, you can transform mundane fabrics into stunning showpieces.
Foot of the Couch
You can use five different presser feet for couching. Some feet have very specific functions, while others are more universal.
A cording foot allows you to feed a small braid, yarn or ribbon through a small loop attached to the foot. Place the fabric in front of the foot, then feed the braid through the loop to the needle. Take a stitch, catching the braid, and sew. One advantage of using a cording foot is that it assists in positioning the trim right side up, much like a third hand.
A multicord foot, as the name suggests, handles several cords at once. It features several holes through which you can feed the yarns or cords.
A beading foot deftly applies bead strands or a string of rhinestones to their desired location(s). The foot's notched underside accommodates both the width and depth of bead strands, allowing for easy, guided placement.
A blind-hem foot can be adjusted for use with thicker trims. This foot is also a good choice when applying trim near a garment edge (such as a sleeve edge, neckline or blouse hem). When stitching near an edge, position the trim to one side of the foot's built-in guide.
An open-toe embroidery foot is the couching generalist: It can accommodate all types of couching materials. Its open-foot design allows for an unobstructed view of the strands as they're guided and sewn into position.
COUCHING IS A FUN,VERSATILE WAY to add artistic details to basic and elaborate fabrics alike. Discover what this centuries-old technique can do for a ready-made garment, or try it on your next sewing project.