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EMBROIDERY STITCHES!
How To Techniques on Needlecraft Superior Blog

Embroidery Couching.

Embroidery Couching stitches are particularly useful for outlining an area or
for giving more weight to a single line.
In embroidery, couching and laid work are techniques in which yarn or other
materials are laid across the surface of the ground fabric and fastened in
place with small stitches of the same or a different yarn.
Usually, there are two working threads, the laid thread (which can be one or
more strands) and the couching thread.
The couching thread is stitched over the laid thread to attach it to the fabric.
The effect of couching varies with the specific stitch and the numbers of laid
threads that are used.
The more threads you laid down, the heavier the outline.
The couching threads may be either the same color as the laid threads or a
contrasting color.
In addition to outlining, whole areas can be filled in with couching.
To create textural variety, lay the threads so they run in different directions.

Two distinct types of couching are Bukhara and Rumanian. Both employ only one
lenght of thread for both the laying and the couching instead of separate lenghts
of thread for each.
To create more unusual effects couch over finished canvas work and applique
or try couching with metallic thread.

STRAIGHT COUCHING:
Straight couching can be used to outline a design.
To start bring the desired number of laid threads through the material, you are
working on, use left thumb to hold and guide laid threads, as you couch over them.
Bring working thread up one side of the laid thread and over directly to the
other side of laid thread with the needle coming out on the rightside of the fabric
at the distance you require the next stitch, (say 2 centimeters, or 1/2 inch),
along the line, (as top orange coloured image below straight satin couching).
Point 3 is now point 1 for the next stitch.
Continue until laid thread are completely anchored: keep distance between stitches
consistent. Bring ends of laid threads to back of work and secure.

HOW TO FILL IN A AREA:
The middle three images in the picture below shows:
How to fill in a area, work first line as in straight couching.
At end of line, turn trailing laid threads  to the right.
Take a horizontal stitch at turning point.
Turn work upside down and couch second row of threads from right to left, placing
stitches between stitches of preceeding row.
At the end of the second row, turn trailing laid threads to the right and again
take a horizontal stitch.
Turn work upright and work third row alternating vertical stitches with those in
the row above.
Continue this way until area is covered,
(as in the picture of the middle images below).

BUKHARA COUCHING:
(Bottom four images below).
Bukhara Couching is used to fill an area with a woven effect.
Both the laid and couching threads are the same lenght of thread.
The thread is laid from left to right and couched from right to left.
Bring thread up at 1. insert at 2. and exit at 3 above laid thread.
(as first image shows) Insert needle at 4 over laid thread and slightly ahead of 3.
Come up at 5 (inline with 3). Continue slanted stitches to end of laid thread.
Bring needle out at 1 to begin next row.(as image 3 shows below bottom).
Place started stitch in each row between those in previous row.
(looking like image 4 as you proceed to fill in your pattern).

For Variants in Couching
Wikipedia have a very nice article on couching, also a Stitch Gallery.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Couching

Embroidery Couching