Bunched Couching Stitch

This is the Bunched Couching Stitch.  It is the latest stitch I have learned on my 100 Stitches Plus journey.

Isn't this a beautiful stitch?  


Just like a regular Couching Stitch, this one is made up of laid threads that are couched with a stitch.   In this case, a Straight Stitch.  

I decided to use contrasting colors, blue for the laid threads and brown for the couching:

The instructions for this stitch mentioned that this is a good stitch to use for wide lines, giving a bold effect. To get the bold effect, use as many strands as you like for just the right chunkiness. 
For demonstration, I chose three strands of perle cotton thread for the laid threads:

The stitch is worked from right to left.  The first step is to take one of the laid threads and come up at the right edge of the stitching line:

Pull that thread all the way through and let it just rest on the fabric:

do the same with the second and third{or however many you are using}threads:

Once all the laid threads are pulled through, it is time to couch them:

 Bring the couching thread up just below the laid threads:

 Pull all the way through.  Bring your needle across the laid threads and go back into the fabric above the laid threads:  

this will form a small Straight Stitch and couch the laid threads.  Make sure to pull this stitch tight!  It will help bunch the laid threads.  A tip that I discovered is to make the Straight Stitch small, almost bringing the needle out and putting the needle in under the laid threads at the bottom and top - this really helped with bunching the laid threads.

Just continue to couch by making Straight Stitches along the stitching line.  
I measured the distance between each of my couching stitches, to make sure I ended up with even spacing:

After the last Straight Stitch, I secured the couching thread on the underside.  
Then I carefully threaded a needle on the laid threads: 

and pulled them through the fabric.  I secured each one on the underside.

Here is a look at the underside.  Looks like a lot going on!

This is an easy stitch to do:

I am looking forward to using this on a project!

This stitch is from the book Embroidery Stitches by Mary Webb.