Yarn Couching: Free Motion to Fine Art

Add yarn to your free motion quilting to create fine textural art on quilts, garments, home decor, and accessories!

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Free motion machine yarn couching is a fast growing tactile art medium for all sewers! Learn to replace free motion quilting with yarn, then, advance to using yarn to replace simple appliqué shapes. When you are ready, try adding shading, texture and value to create life like additions to a variety of fiber art projects. Bethanne uses both a domestic sewing machine and a longarm sewing machine to throughly demonstrate all levels of yarn couching for use on quilts, decor, accessories and more!

Chapter 1: Introduction and Supply (00:10) Including types of feet, yarn, stabilizers, and additional supplies

Chapter 2: Getting Started with Successful Stitching (00:40): Including basic stitches and free motion yarn couched quilting, advanced free motion yarn couched quilting and appliqué, and advanced stitches and textures

Chapter 3: Pictorial Yarn Couching (01:27): Including pattern making and understanding stabilizers, traveling and layering with koi fish demonstration on a home sewing machine, advanced layering and value, advanced stitches and textures, pictorial techniques of direct sewing, trapunto method and stand alone appliqué, advanced demonstration of a large daisy with shading and contouring on a longarm sewing machine, and advanced demonstration of bumblebee on a home sewing machine

Chapter 4: Live Sewing of the 'Meadow Tweet' Class Project (00:57) The class project is sewn as a potential small framed quilt including advanced demonstration on a home sewing machine featuring direct application couching on fabric and appliqué style couching, and, using yarn couching on garments, upholstry and accessories.

Additional Printed Materials: Class includes printable class handouts with additional discussion as well as four patterns, the large daisy with optional bumblebee and the Meadow Tweet pattern with a small daisy and bluebird.


Course Curriculum


  Introduction
Available in days
days after you enroll

Frequently Asked Questions


When does the course start and finish?
The course starts now and never ends! It is a completely self-paced online course - you decide when you start and when you finish.
How long do I have access to the course?
How does lifetime access sound? After enrolling, you have unlimited access to this course for as long as you like - across any and all devices you own.
Do I need special feet or a special sewing machine?
You will need a free motion yarn couching, or a set of feet with different diameters. These are widely available for nearly every brand of sit down or longarm sewing machine. You can yarn couch on both kinds of machines and both are demonstrated in class.
Can I use any yarn?
Technically, yes, any yarn that fits through the opening in your couching foot, however suggestions are given in class for types of yarn that perform best under different circumstances.
Will I be charged tax on my digital class? Why?
US and global laws are changing quickly and vary state by state with regards to sales tax on digital items. The Teachable paying platform will automatically charge the appropriate tax as it applies to an individual state's laws or country tax code. Allowing a large platform like teachable to handle changing tax laws keeps me from needing to file in multiple states or be exposed to audit.

Just a few of the beautiful examples of yarn couching in my portfolio that illustrate the techniques you will learn in this exciting fiber art class.

I hope you'll join me in exploring a wonderful new use of a fuzzy favorite fiber!

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Your Instructor


Bethanne Graves Nemesh
Bethanne Graves Nemesh

Teaching others the joy and passion of quilting making is my favorite thing! The quilt world is full of possibilities for those willing to follow their own creative path and find what works for them. My goal is to empower my students with all the knowledge they need to become creative and confident free motion machine quilters, and fiber artists! Join me!