How to Remove Overlap Stitches in Combined Embroidery Designs

Joining or enlarging an embroidery design usually entails overlap stitches. The designs are combined and generally produce dense and stiff embroidery. It also results in a stacked pattern with bunched stitches removing the embroidery’s softness and flexibility. Embroidery digitizing software programs eliminate the stitches digitally with specific removal tools. The design area is framed and once the overlap stitch removal feature is activated, the stitches are digitally eliminated. The process removes any possibility of bulky superimposed motifs and ensures a smooth and flexible embroidery design.

Open your embroidery design in your embroidery digitizing software program’s image pad or grid. This program must be installed in your personal computer.

Activate the Combine Embroidery feature tool by scrolling down your drop down menu and clicking on the tab. Keep in mind each program’s tool button placement varies. Follow the prompts to frame the objects or motifs requiring the combining tool. The screen automatically combines and merges the designs together seamlessly. It also gives you an accurate view where the overlap stitches are located in the design pattern.

Enlarge the stitch area along the combined seam line by activating your zoom tool. Though this step is optional, activating the zoom tool allows you to view the overlapped areas accurately prior to activating the removal tool.

Frame the motifs requiring the overlap stitch removal within the design area. This is referred to as grouping the design. Though steps vary between software types, most programs require all design objects within the embroidery pattern to be grouped together in order to eliminate the overlap stitches. The program must read the design pattern to calculate which stitches must be removed to avoid the motifs from stacking onto each other producing warped and bunched up stitches.

Choose the Remove Overlap Stitches or Automatic Remove Overlap tabs from the drop down menu to start the removal feature. Other programs require you to use the “Trim” function as the overlap removal tool.

Activate the removal tool by clicking on top of the object requiring stitch elimination. Certain programs require you to right mouse click to activate. Once the feature is activated, the modified motif appears without the overlap stitches. For instance, if you designed three horizontal bows and the two outer bows are superimposed onto the center bow, the feature removes the stitches from the center bow to avoid stacking underneath the outer bows.

Combine the modified motifs again as in step 2 excluding the overlap stitches and stitch your embroidery design.