The Gilded Edge: Couching Page 2

Couching Technique

Couching a pair of metal threads

1. Anchor the sewing thread by making 2 back stitches in the area to be covered by the gold and bring the thread up where the couching starts, approximately 1/8" inside the beginning of the design area.

2. Loop the thread over 1 strand of the gold and make a stitch the width of that 1 strand. Bring the thread up in the same place and loop it around both strands. Take the thread to the back making a stitch that is exactly the size of the 2 strands of gold.

3. Couch the 2 strands side by side using the wrapping of the thread as a guide to the distance the stitches should be apart; the stitches should be every other wrap of the gold and very even. The couching stitches are usually perpendicular to the gold and do not squeeze or pinch it, neither do they extend beyond the exact length of the 2 strands placed side by side. It is essential that the gold be kept taut, this gives it a special sheen. To facilitate this, every few stitches, give a gentle tug to the koma.

4. Stop couching approximately 1/8" from the end where the gold is filling.

Couching a pair and a half

Sometimes you may want to add only one strand of gold to an area already couched. This most often happens when filling a shape and there is only a small thin area in the center left. It is also used to add a single strand to one row of couching to strengthen the design line.

After couching the first row as a pair, the next row, using the single strand of metal thread, is couched over two strands of metal thread by "borrowing" the closest strand from the previous row. Try not to couch one strand alone. The short stitch will be immediately noticeable and take the viewer's eye away from the beauty of the metal thread.

Turning corners

When turning corners it is necessary to continue the uniform pattern established in the previous stitching.

a. Right angles. At the point where the turn is to be made, make a couching stitch over both strands of gold (stitch #1). This stitch should be the width of the two strands away from the corner. Now separate the two strands, turning the inside strand to the desired angle, and make a stitch over the outside strand (stitch #2). To emphasize the angle of the turn, this stitch should be a "hair" beyond the point of the turn and stitched at a 45°. Turn the outside strand to lay along the inside strand and couch the two together (stitch #3). In the process of turning, you can make the gold form a better angle if you pull the gold against the stitch, crimping it. Do not pull the gold so hard that the silk stitch sinks into the the corner and is buried in the gold or disappears under the gold paper of the strand. This crimp is permanent so make sure that you are satisfied with its placement before making it. Continue couching the two strands together in the same manner as before you made the turn.

b. Obtuse angles. The procedure is the same as in making right angles except in the angle of the turning stitches. To determine the angle of stitch #1, think of the direction that you want the gold to travel. This stitch should follow that line. Stitch #2 should be placed so that it is slightly beyond the turning point as before; and stitch #3 should be at the angle that follows the direction of the gold before it was turned.

c. Acute angles. The procedure is the same as for the obtuse angles. Start stitch #1 by following the line of the anticipated line of stitching, Stitch #2 is made slightly beyond the turn and Stitch #3 follows the line of the stitching prior to the turn. In acute angles there will be a noticeable gap between the outside strand and the inside strand.

d. "U" turns (180° turns). Remembering that 180 degrees is two right angles, we combine the right angle turns at stitch #3. Stitch #3 becomes stitch # 1 and the procedure follows as before, bringing the strands all the way around to head in the opposite direction.

Turning narrow points

In most cases when turning couched pairs of gold, you can use the method described above in "turning acute angles", However, there are times that the point is so narrow that the double strand will not fit. To make these turns, only the outer strand of gold will be continuous and the inner strand will have to be cut, leaving one inch tails as you end and begin the strand again. This is done so that you can dovetail the ends as you sink them to the back. Do not try to force the gold strands into areas that are too small. This will cause the strands to lie bumpy and unevenly, disrupting the uniformity of the stitching that you are trying to maintain to enhance the shine of the gold.

Successive rows, bricked stitches

When couching rows side by side it is necessary to create a uniform stitch pattern by placing the stitches in a "bricked" pattern. After the first row is complete, the second row is couched so that the stitches are exactly half way between the stitches of the previous row. The third row will have the stitches in the same positions as the stitches in the first row.

When couching successive rows, it is necessary to bring the needle up, at a slight angle from under the inside edge of the new row and the needle should go down slightly slanting under the previous row. This allows the rows to nestle up next to each other creating a smooth continuous surface.

Turning successive rows

The angle of the turn determines how close you can nestle the strands in the turns. You always want to keep the turns sharp and there is a tendency for the turns to become rounded on successive rows. If you are filling in sharp turns and if you can't turn the couched pair without squashing the strands, cut the ends and dovetail the strands to fill the area.

(Actual couching)


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