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9 simple steps for effortless couching with THE Dream Machine 2

by Christine Baker

This week on QUILTsocial, I’m using THE Dream Machine 2 to make some placemats from orphan quilt blocks. Yesterday I used some of the amazing embroidery stitches to embellish a couple of our placemats and today I’m embellishing another placemat using couching.

THE Dream Machine 2

THE Dream Machine 2

For this placemat, I want to try embellishing with the couching foot on THE Dream Machine 2. I have this lovely variegated yarn to use for couching. Follow along with me as I show you the 9 simple steps for couching with THE Dream Machine 2.

The couching yarn

The couching yarn

Step 1 – attach thread stand

Before couching with THE Dream Machine 2 from Brother, attach the thread stand to the top of the machine. Since I use cones of thread as well as small spools, I just leave the thread stand on the machine at all times.

The thread stand

The thread stand

Step 2 – attach the top-left yarn guide

I always wondered what this attachment was used for and now I know!

The top-left yarn guide

The top-left yarn guide

This yarn guide is attached by inserting it into the slot on the top left of THE Dream Machine 2.

Attaching the yarn guide

Attaching the yarn guide

Step 3 – attach the dual feed foot

Next, I attach the dual feed foot without attaching the toe of the couching dual feed foot. Make sure that it’s attached securely and plugged into the back of the machine.

The dual feed foot

The dual feed foot

Step 4 – thread the yarn

Now I’ll pass the yarn through the telescopic thread guide on the top of the thread stand and through both holes on the top-left yarn guide.

Thread the yarn

Thread the yarn

Step 5 – thread the couching toe

The couching toe comes with a yarn threader wire needle and are packaged together in this little bag. Make sure when you’re done couching that you place the threader back in the package to prevent it from getting lost and/or broken.

The couching toe and threader

The couching toe and threader

At this point, I thread the yarn through the loop in the yarn threader wire needle and then I’ll pass the threader from top to bottom through the hole on the couching toe.

Using the threader

Using the threader

Pulling the threader makes the yarn pass through the hole in the couching toe.

Yarn passing through the couching toe

Yarn passing through the couching toe

Step 6 – attach the couching toe

Attach the couching toe to the dual feed foot of THE Dream Machine 2 is easy. I ensure to pull the yarn out at least 4″ from the back of the foot.

Attach the couching toe

Attach the couching toe

Step 7 – select a zigzag stitch

I now select a zigzag stitch on the machine and set the width to about 5 and thread the machine with a top thread that complements the color of the yarn. I recommend testing the width of the zigzag stitch on a scrap piece of fabric to make sure that the stitch completely wraps across the width of the yarn. If it doesn’t, or if it’s too wide, adjust the width of the zigzag stitch.

Select a zig-zag stitch

Select a zig-zag stitch

Step 8 – iron stabilizer to back

It’s important to add stabilizer. Iron a strip of Sulky Totally Stable stabilizer to the back of the placemat. The stabilizer is recommended if couching on stretch fabrics, lightweight fabrics or fabrics with a coarse weave. I tried couching on the batik fabric that my placemat is made of and the stitches turned out much nicer when stabilizer was first ironed to the back of the fabric.

Iron stabilizer to back

Iron stabilizer to back

Step 9 – start stitching

I can now finally start stitching! Here’s a little video I made that shows how amazing the couching toe and dual feed foot are for couching! Working in sync effortlessly. A real dream I say.

Couching with THE Dream Machine 2 from Brother – YouTube

Watch the amazing Dream Machine 2 as Christine uses it to couch yarn on a batik placemat.

Here’s the finished top of the placemat with eight lines of couching done with THE Dream Machine 2 from Brother. Now it just needs to be quilted and bound!

The placemat with couching

The placemat with couching

Here’s a close-up photo that shows the yarn that has been couched with the couching toe and dual feed foot on THE Dream Machine 2. It was SO easy to do and it looks so great!! Now I want to do couching on everything!!

Close-up of the couching

Close-up of the couching

Well, that sure was fun and easy! I’ve done couching before with my other sewing machines but it was never that effortless. I think I’ll be using that feature again soon!

Tomorrow is our last day working on our placemats and I’m going to share some of my favorite tips for using and storing leftover binding strips – see you then!

This is part 4 of 5 in this series.
Go back to part 3: Using THE Dream Machine 2’s decorative stitches to embellish placemats

Go to part 5: Easy ways to organize and use up leftover quilt bindings

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3 comments

Marge West July 12, 2020 - 1:22 pm

Christine, I have been searching for info on crouching! Thank you so much – I have the Brother Luminiare – do you think the steps would be the same? I love your site and will visit often.

Reply
Carla A. Canonico July 13, 2020 - 11:18 am

Hi Marge! Thank you for your great question. The same technique can be done on the Luminaire. For the Luminaire couching accessories (MuVit foot for couching, thread guide etc.) became available with the purchase of Luminaire upgrade Kit 1. The steps in our blog post for the Dreamweaver are the same.

Reply
Dianne Fyn April 19, 2018 - 1:47 pm

that is an awesome machine for couching! really has all one could ask for!
How big is the throat plate on that machine?
Thanks for the tutorial Christine.

Reply

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