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by Peggy Stillwagon  What Couching Is: Couching is a simple, but very effective way to embellish anything. Basically, it is laying a piece of yarn or decorative fiber on your fabric and attaching it by machine-stitching or hand-stitching. For craft projects you can do couching by using glue to hold the fibers onto whatever surface you're working with. However you do it, couching gives you a beautiful 3-dimensional design and adds interesting texture with very little effort. Be sure to do the couching before stitching your seams or applying final touches so that the raw ends of the fibers will be hidden. How to Do It: Here's how to do basic couching on fabric using a sewing machine. Select decorative fiber to use. (See "Fibers to Use for Couching" below.) Select thread for stitching the fiber down. (See "Threads to Use for the Zigzag Stitch" below.) Set your machine to a zigzag stitch that is a little wider than the fiber you are couching down. The object is to have the needle go in at each side of the fiber rather than through the fiber itself. This allows the fiber to lay smoothly on your fabric base. Make the stitch about 1/8" to 1/4" long so that the zigzags hold the fiber down, but the fiber shows through without a lot of stitching over it. Do some experimenting with scraps of your fabric to get the best width and length for your zigzag stitching.    
Fibers to Use for Couching: Since the purpose of couching is to add texture and dimension to your project, use fibers that are thick enough to be seen. Anything that's too thick to thread in your sewing machine is a good choice for couching. Metallics are beautiful additions to most projects and they are available in 2 textures: soft (usually rayon mixed with polyester lurex) and rough (called frisette and usually made of 100% lurex). The soft metallics add a delicate sparkle to your work. Frisettes are generally thicker than the soft metallics and are fabulous for adding texture and a bit of glitz. Their only drawback is their roughness, which only matters if you're wearing your project next to bare skin. Chenilles are lovely for couching, adding a soft velvety touch. They come in various thicknesses so you can get just the look you want. Chainette, the silky stuff used to make tassels and fringe, also works beautifully for couching. Chainettes have a bit of shine to them which adds a gentle glow to your work. Boucles are fun to couch with because they usually vary in thickness along the yarn adding interest to your couching line. Cording makes beautiful couching with a strong statement. Great for outlining. You can couch with anything you want: string, strips of leather or fabric, even fine metal chain (just be sure you don't hit the metal and break your needle). Threads to Use for the Zigzag Stitch: Monofilament: Monofilament thread comes in clear and smoke, allowing you to get "invisible" stitches over most any color fibers. The result is fibers that look as if they're almost floating on your fabric. Very nice. Matching thread: Another option is to use thread that matches the fiber which will give an "invisible" but heavier look than monofilament. Contrasting thread: You can deliberately go for a multicolor look by using contrasting thread. Experiment to see how it looks with your fiber and fabric base. Metallic thread: To add extra sparkle and glitz, use a metallic sewing thread to couch down your fiber in a matching or contrasting color. This can be very effective with any kind of fiber. Coordinate Fiber with Fabric and Project: Think about your project: How it will be used -- if what you're making will be worn next to the skin, choose soft metallics rather than frisettes. The overall style of the project (casual, formal, country, contemporary, etc.) -- use couching fibers that go with the style and theme of your project. The fabric or object used as a base for the couching -- the thick nap of velvet fabric can swallow up a very thin fiber. Choose a frisette metallic rather than a fine metallic thread. Use Several Different Fibers: Try using several different fibers when couching. The differences in color, thickness and texture add a lot of interest to your project. You can also combine fibers by treating them as one and couching over them together. Planning Your Work: One way is to do a simple sketch with crayons or colored pencils of the result you want to achieve and then recreate your sketch with fibers on fabric at the sewing machine. Another method is to lay out a design in fibers directly on your fabric, pinning them in place and then stitching. The third way is for the free spirit in all of us -- no planning at all. Just go with the flow as you start couching the first fiber, and add more -or not - as your design instinct takes over. Designs You Can Make: Swirls: Just move your fabric base as you couch, making curved lines with the fiber. Geometric: straight lines, circles, angles. Since fiber is flexible, you can make any shapes you want. Outline: Use fibers to outline a motif on your fabric base; for example, make a flower or leaf stand out by couching around it with a coordinating fiber. Multiple strands: Couch several fibers together onto your fabric base. They could even split up and come back together again. Monogram: Try laying out a capital letter in fiber on your fabric base. Pin it in place and couch it down. This is tough to do by machine with all the angles and curves in most letters. Might be easier to do by hand. Tips and Tricks: Special presser feet: Using a braiding foot or couching foot on your machine makes couching even easier. These special feet have an opening in front for the fiber to go into which feeds the fiber directly under the needle. See what's available for your machine. Add embellishments: When the couching is done on your project, think about adding some beads, charms, appliques, buttons, etc. These make great finishing touches.    |
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