Couch Trip
Final Preparations
For smooth, pucker-free couching, test the machine settings by couching on a fabric strip to ensure the thread tension is adjusted correctly. You'll also want to stabilize the couching area.
Standard tension settings are suitable for stitching yarns, narrow ribbons and even some cords without adjustment. However, if you're couching a heavier strand, test a scrap first to determine if the machine stitches can handle the bulk without pulling the thread out of alignment. If not, loosen the upper tension to accommodate the strand.
Next, select the stabilizer that's bestsuited for the job: fusible interfacing or iron-on or tear-away stabilizer. For knits, fuse weft interfacing to all garment pieces to provide body and a perfect couching foundation. Lightweight, woven fabrics should be completely stabilized, but more substantial fabrics, like boiled wool, only need reinforcing at the areas to be couched.
Plan It or Wing It?
If you want to plan your design before stitching, use a fabric marker or chalk to draw placement lines on the fabric for each strand. Pin the strands in place. Thread the machine with the appropriate thread, attach the selected presser foot, and stitch over the strands.
If you prefer to design as you sew, try free-form couching. Begin with a general idea of the embellishment location and the types and amounts of yarns to use. Then dive right in--place a strand on the fabric, handguide it into position and stitch over it.
To add couching to a completed garment, stabilize the area first, then apply your design. However, if you plan to embellish a garment you're constructing, it's much easier to couch the fabric while the garment pieces can still be laid flat.
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Design Deliberations
Cut a few lengths of each trim you plan to use, and place them on the fabric. Now consider some design elements: Do the trim colors work with the fabric? With each other? One method of choosing color suggests including a light, a bright and a dark element to balance the eye.
Remember that too much color and texture can get muddled: a little intensity goes a long way. If you're unsure how many different trims to use, choose an odd number: try three, five or seven varieties.
A wide spectrum of different materials, carefully mixed, increases visual interest and adds depth to the overall couching pattern.
Smaller spaces call for fewer trim types and simpler designs, while larger spaces need more yarn varieties in greater quantities, as well as more complex designs.
Solid-color fabrics offer dramatic backgrounds for all kinds of couching materials.
When selecting trim colors, check the fabric selvage for possible hints.You may be able to distinguish the different thread colors that blend to create the overall fabric--these are terrific complementary shades for couching materials.
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