How to do Bukhara Couching - Sarah's Hand Embroidery Tutorials

Bukhara Couching is also known as

Punto de Brocatelo [ES], La Stuoia Bokhara [IT], Ponto Brocatelo [PT].

About Bukhara Couching

Bukhara Couching is used in embroidery forms from Bukhara, the fifth largest city in Uzbekistan and once a main center of the Persian Civilization. Since it is located on the Silk Route, it is easy to understand that this stitch must have traveled much further than its place of origin. Bukhara Couching is like Convent Stitch but follows a pattern. The illustration shows patterns in diagonal lines, which is the most common one. You can get creative and try to draw any other design like concentric squares, circles, or anything like even a leaf or flower!

How to do Bukhara Couching


Fig 1: Divide the pattern into diagonal sections. The Couching Stitch will fall on these lines. So, next time, you can try with a different pattern!	Fig 2: Lay a stitch A-B from one end of the pattern to the other.

Fig 3: Use the same needle and thread to start couching down the laid thread, but the stitches will fall on the drawn diagonal lines. The stitch can be straight or slightly diagonal.	Fig 4: Continue tacking the laid thread with the small stitches.

Fig 5: When you finish the first row, continue with the same needle and thread to lay another stitch C-D, closer to the earlier one.	Fig 6: Ensure there is no space between the laid threads.

Fig 5: Continue by anchoring down C-D with tiny straight stitches to fall on the diagonal stitch lines.	Fig 6: The finished filled pattern looks like this. Note how the couching threads have made a pattern where the diagonal stitch lines were.