Couching

Couching is an embroidery technique - it involves laying down a fine, decorative braid or ribbon in a continuous pattern onto some fabric, and stitching it into place.

Patterns often contain flowers or leaves or other shapes - Celtic knotwork is also popular, though that requires multiple braids looping over one another as they are laid in place.

This sort of decoration takes up some room on the fabric (as opposed to fine, narrow embroidery or edgings) and is often incorporated onto hemlines and wide edgings.