Size, grid & borders

Trace a photo or sketch under your quilt

Lay a photo, a sketch or a pattern over the quilt with Overlays, fade it with See-through, and design on top. Overlays never show in a saved picture, a post or a printed pattern.

Where to find it

Designer → Overlays (left panel) → Add

Open the designer
In the Overlays section, Add opens Overlay images; picking a poinsettia photo and Add overlay lays it over a blank quilt, and dragging See-through fades it until the grid shows through

How to do it

  1. Press Add in the Overlays header in the left panel. Overlay images opens with your saved pictures.
  2. To add a new one, press Add an image, choose a photo or sketch, give it a Name and press Save to library. It stays there for every quilt.
  3. Pick the picture and press Add overlay. It lies over the quilt.
  4. Drag See-through until the quilt shows through, then design on top. Reframe moves, resizes and turns the picture; Locked lets clicks go through to the quilt.

Good to know

  • Hold O to hide every overlay for a moment and see the quilt underneath.
  • The colors under each overlay’s preview are averaged from the picture. Click one to use it.
  • On iPhone and iPad, Design References keeps pictures beside the quilt and can show one over it.
Who can use it
Part of a subscription
Where it works
Web studio

This guide answers

  • How do I trace a photo?
  • Can I put a picture behind my quilt?
  • How do I design over a sketch?
  • How do I copy a quilt from a photo?
  • How do I make the photo see-through?
  • How do I hide the overlay?