Jargon of the Week - Couching

Dictionary.com defines couching as:

couch⋅ing [kou-ching]

–noun
1. the act of a person or thing that couches.
2. a method of embroidering in which a thread, often heavy, laid upon the surface of the material, is caught down at intervals by stitches taken with another thread through the material.
3. work so made.

Origin: 1325–75; ME; see couch, -ing 1

The definition goes on to include the term couch as in your sofa. I've always thought this terms was a little bit funny.

According to the glossary in Jo-Ann: Your Guide to Quilting, couching is,

"Stitching thick threads, ribbons, beads, and other items to a quilt surface."

Couching is a pretty cool way to embellish things. Click on the links below for some examples.

• Simple Couching Diagram
• This blogger has a lot of images of couching.
• So does this blogger.

If you're interested in learning more about or giving couching a try, check out the article on wikipedia. There are examples of stitches and some really nice descriptions.

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