Explaining Couching

[lstevens05]

SO I want to make sure I understand how to do couching. My patterns says for the pattern I need 1 lt grey and 2 silver metallic... Or combine the two? Not sure exactly. Anyway... so I just LAY the two strands of silver metallic across where they say it should be? I would usually back stitch that part but should I just lay it and then come up on top of the thread and over and down under it? Two different holes? How may spaces would you put between each one? I'm a bit of a perfectionist so its pretty important to me. I can't find a good site to help me out either so I'm counting on the forum!! Also because i'm confused with what colors they want would it be ok to just take a picture of the legend? Not sure if that is against the rules lol Wouldn't want to get sued. lol Thanks in advance!!

[efhawks]

Here's the explanation I wrote from thishttp://crossstitchforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=18462 thread.

The way that I understand couching is that you lay the piece of thread (I've usually done it with gold metallic) along the front side of the stitched piece, along the line indicated on the chart. They you take another strand of thread, secure it to the bottom of the stitched piece in whatever your desired method is and use this thread to attach the top thread to the piece. I usually go every 5-6 stitches depending on how big the squares are and come up from the bottom on one side of the top thread and back down the same hole on the other side of the top thread and secure loosely so as to not pull the top thread down into the hole.


I hope that all make sense and helps... If not let me know and I can try to devices some visuals...

[kinley626]

Here's a pic of couching.


couching by kinley626, on Flickr[/img]

It's always fun learning new techniques. Hope this helps.

[Mystonique]

When I couch I usually come up and over the thread to be "couched" and back down through the same hole (don't pull too tight or you'll pull your couched thread back through too). But this is just me ... I don't necessarily know if this is correct.

[Mabel Figworthy]

It's one of several methods of couching. If you do pull very firmly and pull the couched thread to the back of the fabric, that is actually a separate technique ! It's called "invisible couching", I believe.

[Mabel Figworthy]

No, correction -- it's called "underside couching"