Couching....what works for me...

I struggled with the gold couching on my first goldwork block but now it is one of my favorite things to do because I have found what works for me... On this piece I find I like 4 rows of cording and am making headway.

First my fabric has to be taut on a hoop or the cording shifts until you have several rows stabilized..

(Red Dot)  when I start I leave a little tail.  It is much easier than trying to work the end in tight at the start.

(Arrows)  Then since I have a long piece of cording that could flop around and be hard to handle,,,  I create a "path" for it with pins....see arrows. They don't keep the cording solid.  It just passes under the pins and allow me to adjust the slack and the tension.  It's like having another hand.

(Asterisk)  When I am doing a double strip as I will for the veins on these leaves, I fold a piece in half and start at the fold and work the two pieces of cording as one....  MUCH easier than going up and back for a narrow strip.

(Circle)  I leave all beginning and ending tails loose until I am completely finished.  I can do a much tidier job of it when I am doing a bunch together rather than individually.  I do a satin stitch on the final 1/16" and then clip closely.

Since this piece is light colored brocade and silk I do not try to carry it about to work on it...

And in case you have forgotten this is the rough design for this block... Maire had asked for an interpretation of the Wm Morris "Strawberry Thief".