​Diaper couching is the method of stitching coloured thread over laid metal threads to create a patterned effect.  Originally diaper patterns used a diamond motif but over time the term has changed to include other simple repeating patterns (see the diagram at the end of this stitch entry for other examples).

Originally, diaper patterns were woven into fabric rather than embroidered - many Egyptian examples survive from the 5th century CE and some fabrics are still produced in this way.  This explains the origin of the term ‘diaper’ in North America for babies’ nappies – it describes the pattern in the weave of the original fabric.

Threads couched in diaper patterns feature in many opus Anglicanum pieces from the 12th to 14th centuries, although most of these are worked in underside couching so, unlike our examples, there is no visible couching thread.

It is not until the late 1800s that the modern version of diaper couching is documented.  Caulfeild and Saward in their 1882 Dictionary of Needlework describe it is as ‘worked so as to form zigzag lines, diamonds, and crosses’ although they are anchoring silk threads, rather than metal thread passing.  Most authors use metal or silk threads, although some suggest “cords, ribbons or coarse wools”.

The term diapering or diaper patterns can also be used to describe any textured background with a small repeating pattern in textiles or in many other craft disciplines.