Couching: Easter rabbit on a cushion

It’s time to start your last Easter project. I have a suggestion with couching: Easter rabbit on a cushion. You could as well embroider it on an Easter egg basket, made of fabric, or on a tote bag.

Couching is an interesting decorative technique to sew cord along a line. It gives you an extra structure. You will find information in the video below.

Use the Adjustable Ruler Foot #72 with Couching inserts

Couching inserts

The couching inserts were developed specifically for quitling with the Adjustable Ruler Foot #72. These protect the surface from abrasion when quilting with metallic cords or yarns.

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Adjustable Ruler Foot #72

Decorative quilt designs such as lines, feathers, circles etc. ✓ are created using a ¼-inch-thick Plexiglass ruler ✓ Markings on the inside and outside for simple, precise sewing ✓ The dial lets you adjust the height of the foot individually to the fabric thickness ✓ For 5.5 mm and 9 mm machines ✓

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Supplies to sew a cushion with rabbit:

I make a cushion with an invisible hand sewn seam, so I only need 80 x 40 cm fabric.
Mettler Poly Sheen embroidery thread in a matching colour with the yarn you will use and Seralon sewing thread.
Take a fluffy knitting yarn, to be knitted with needle size 6 or 7. In other projects, you could use thinner yarn, but this project needs bulky yarn.
Filling for the cushion
The embroidery file (download in EXP and PES): Rabbit – haas 20 x 24
The Maxi hoop and a Bernina embroidery machine, I use the BERNINA 700
Mettler Web bond temporary adhesive spray is useful.
Cut away stabilizer

BERNINA 700

The B 700 convinces with many new, innovative functions such as the pinpoint placement. Moreover, this embroidery machine comes with many embroidery patterns.

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The embroidery file is made in BERNINA Embroidery Software 9. For couching you would normally apply a straight stitch. As my thread is so fluffy with fringes along a straight line of yarn, I will use a zigzag stitch to sew the outline of the rabbit. I need the largest of the three couching inserts to let the yarn pass free through the hole. With a straight stitch I’m afraid it wouldn’t pick the yarn in all stitches.

BERNINA Embroidery Software 9

BERNINA Embroidery Software available in two levels ✓ Designer Plus offers outstanding and creative embroidery ✓ Upgrade from Creator to DesignerPlus any time ✓ For experienced users and software newbies ✓ Edit existing designs or create your own ✓ New tools and functions ✓ Transfer your designs wirelessly with the BERNINA WiFi Device ✓

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How to start:

Hoop the stabilizer in the Maxi Hoop. Mark the middle of the fabric and pin it to the stabilizer (or hoop with the stabilizer, if it’s big enough).

Maxi Hoop

The Maxi embroidery hoop (40 x 21 cm) is suitable for large embroidery designs and borders.

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Embroider the first line, it shows the outline of the rabbit. It helps you to know where the stitching line goes and where the curves and corners are. If necessary you can guide the yarn in the right direction.

Set the machine to a low speed.

Fix the couching insert to the ruler foot. Guide the yarn from top to bottom through the presser foot and the couding insert (as you will see in the video). Attach the foot to the machine and start embroidering the rabbit. The end tail of the yarn is on the right side of the picture.