Couching: Free Motion Style Quilting

June 20, 2019
Couching, Floral Design
Free Motion Couching, Floral DesignGood Morning, Quilters!

Today, I am sharing a small couching project that I stitched for my third book (available Spring, 2020).

Bad News:   this project got cut from the book.

Good News:  that means I can share it with you now!

What is Couching?

Couching is a great quilting or embroidery technique that allows you to stitch bold designs with very heavy weight thread, yarn, or cording.   The heavy weight thread is laid on the surface and stitched in place by lighter weight thread.

What Foot is Best?

Most sewing machine manufacturers offer one or more  feet that guide the heavy weight thread.

You can do straight line couching with BERNINA’s Bulky Overlock foot #12C or the Braiding foot #21.

Or you can do more complex, free motion designs with the Free Motion Couching Foot #43 as seen below. (NOTE-BERNINA recently introduced couching clips that attach to the Ruler foot, #72.  I just got a set–will report on that soon!)

First, thread the machine for normal sewing with lightweight thread in the top and bobbin.  Then thread the couching foot with the heavy weight yarn or cording.

What Materials are Best?

I’ve been experimenting with a variety of heavy weight thread, specialty threads, braids and even nylon cording.  They all have very different effects.

In this project, I used lightweight nylon cording.

 Free Motion Motifs

You can adapt mots of the free motion motifs available here for couching.

For now, I think I’ll use this technique and cording to make a few pillows.

Soon, I want to try lighter weight yarn.

 

American Quilter Magazine

There’s a great article on couching with yarn by Bethanne Nemesh  in the July, 2019 issue  of American Quilter Magazine.

Speaking of American Quilter Magazine–did you notice my ever-changing look in My Line with Lori Kennedy?  Someone is having a little photoshop fun with me!

What About YOU?

Have YOU ever tried machine couching?

What projects did you use it for?

Which yarn, threads and cording were YOUR favorite?

We’d LOVE to hear!

Regards,

From my davenport to your sofa!

Happy Couching,

Lori

PS….All tutorials, images and information are the property of Lori Kennedy Quilts and are intended for personal use only.  Feel free to re-blog, pin or share with attribution to LKQ.  For all other purposes, please contact me at Lori@LoriKennedyQuilts.com.  Thanks!

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