Remove overlaps
Shapes stacked on top of each other are sewn twice. Make stitch-ready cuts away the hidden parts, so every spot is sewn once.
Updated October 19, 2026
Artwork is often drawn in layers: a disc, a smaller disc on top of it, a sun on top of that. On screen only the top layer shows. A machine sews every layer, so where shapes overlap the fabric gets two or three layers of thread — thick, stiff and slow to sew.
Make stitch-ready
When an SVG you import has overlaps, a notice says how many spots and offers Make stitch-ready…. It splits the artwork into areas that don't overlap: hidden parts are removed, touching areas of one colour are joined, and curves become fine straight segments. Import replaces the artwork in your design; Undo brings it back.
You can also start there: File ▸ Import… offers Make stitch-ready… before you pick the file.
Shapes you drew yourself
Path ▸ Subtract cuts the upper of two selected shapes out of the lower one — but it replaces both with the result, so the upper shape is used up. To keep both, use the Shape Builder (X) instead: select the overlapping shapes and pick the tool, and it shows them cut into regions along their outlines. Click the visible part of the lower shape and press Enter. A region you don't touch goes to the shape that lies on top of it, so the lower shape loses the part hidden under the upper one, and the upper shape stays whole. Dragging across regions merges them into one shape; holding Alt, a click or drag removes regions. More in Drawing and editing.