# [Couch a laid thread](https://threadcabin.com/explore/281/couch-a-laid-thread)

> Lay the visible thread along the design and secure it with smaller crossing stitches. The laid thread and anchoring thread perform different jobs.

- Canonical page: https://threadcabin.com/explore/281/couch-a-laid-thread
- Language: en
- Published: 2026-09-25T17:26:34.5025695+00:00
- Updated: 2026-09-25T17:26:39.3866140+00:00
- Craft: Embroidery
- Primary image: [Illustration: A thick muted-gold thread laid in a smooth curve on linen and secured with small regularly spaced fine couching stitches.](https://threadcabin.com/images/explore/focused/couching.jpg)

Lay the visible thread along the design and secure it with smaller crossing stitches. The laid thread and anchoring thread perform different jobs.

## Before you start

Prepare a small offcut of the intended ground with the intended needle and thread. Mark the practice area lightly and support the fabric without stretching its grain.

## Try this example

Lay a thick thread around a 2 cm curve. Place anchors closer together where it turns, then flex the scrap to check that the line neither lifts nor puckers.

## Check your result

- Release the frame and inspect front and reverse. The thread should lie as intended without distorting the ground; shorten a stitch or change the sample before pulling harder.
- Coverage and tension depend on the actual ground, thread and stitch length. A diagram shows the route, not a universal thread quantity or tension setting.

## Sources

- [rsnstitchbank.org: couching stitch](https://rsnstitchbank.org/stitch/couching-stitch)
- [rsnstitchbank.org: running stitch](https://rsnstitchbank.org/stitch/running-stitch)

[Browse editable craft templates](/crafts?craft=embroidery)

[Report a correction](/corrections).

## Sources and provenance

- [Running, back, and stem stitch: compare the thread path](https://threadcabin.com/explore/13/running-back-and-stem-stitch-compare-the-thread-path)
- [Prepare laid metal-thread work](https://threadcabin.com/explore/328/prepare-laid-metal-thread-work)