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Line your bag
By: Natalie Langkilde http://www.nataliesknitting.com

If you do not line your bag, your things may poke out the sides, or, your bag will morph to the shape of your wallet. You put in your keys and there they are, jutting out the bottom only disguised as the bottom of your purse! It just looks nicer, and it's nicer in the long run to use if you line the bag. All that work you put into making it, it will truly be more satisfying if you line your bag! It really only takes about 30 minutes if you have all the things you need, and know what to do.Check my bag galleries for more lining photo's when you are done here.

Extras: Optional findings, such as: magnetic snaps, snaps, buttons, zippers, D-rings.
Use magnetic snaps (Dritz Magnetic Snaps are widely available) with buttons or ornaments glued to the outside of them to hide findings, or closure of choice. You can also make fabric tabs to put the magnetic snaps on attached to the front and back of the bag. Then you wouldn't have to "hide" the snap findings with buttons and the like. Pockets and key tabs could also be added.

Materials: 2 Fat Quarters, Timtex or plastic canvas (plastic canvas can crack if bent severely and it doesn't feel as nice), Sewing Machine, sewing needle and thread.

Fabric stores sell "fat quarters" fabric to get a good variety to choose from with just a little amount of purchase. It's a little square of fabric that will cost you just a couple dollars at the most, in a wide variety of fabric. Probably most popular for quilters.

You can line the bag directly (without interfacing as described below) with this fabric using this how-to if you ignore the part about the interfacing. You can use interfacing, or fusable interfacing, to help support it under the lining. Or (my preference) you can make a firm supporting boxy like lining that will hold the shape of the bag when full or empty. At the very least your bag will love you more if you put a supporting bottom on it with a stiffening material, but some bags need more shape support to make them beautiful as they can be.

Directions:

For this I used 2 "fat quarters". I used a second "fat quarter" amount of a fabric, that would not show (so it can be poor quality and ugly), to form a pocket with some stiffening material pocketed between the lining and the extra "fat quarter" fabric. (See photo 1 for all this laid out and cut to shape)

I used Timtex, a stiff interfacing-like fabric often used for hat brims, etc, for the front and back pieces (the white pieces in the photo). Also cut one the length and width of the sides of the bag. I found it at Nancy's Notions and a specialty quilting store locally, but if you can't find it locally, search the internet for it. It might not be in all the chain fabric stores, yet. This feels nicer for the sides, but holds as firm as the plastic canvas which you could use. Plastic canvas is cheaper, but not as nice to feel. It also breaks if you fold it. I haven't tried the craft foam sheets I've seen at "Michaels". But this might be something for a bag that needs a lot of form inside it.

Use the bag as a pattern you will lay the bag on the material, or roll it along the material, if necessary, to get the whole length/shape of each piece : First cut out "inside firming material" such as Timtex by laying your purse over the material to be used. Mark it first, if preferred, then cut to the shape of your bag. Leave approximately ½ inch allowance around outside edges of the bag with the firming material. This would be for the opening part of your purse. The lining does not go all the way to the top edges of the bag, or it would show. So don't cut the Timtex, or firming material shape to go all the way to the edge of your purse. Just to where you want your lining to come to inside the opening.

Now place the "good" fabric over the "inside" fabric, wrong sides together. Lay the cut out "inside firming material" of choice (such as Timtex) onto the fabric for a guide. With material, cut with ½-3/4 inch extra seam allowance to shape needed. If you aren't using the firming material, just use your bag as a pattern and cut ½-3/4 inch bigger than each side of your bag.
Assemble pieces with interfacing: Now you will sew, with wrong sides together, close to the edges, or use an overlock machine to serge the edges of the pieces, like a pocket with too much room for the insides of firming material. Leaving top edges open to insert firming material. Insert firming material. Sew or serge edge closed close to the edge of material.

Optional Pocket: (see photo's below directions for examples)
You may want to make a fabric pocket sewn onto the lining before you baste into the bag. Probably before you assemble the parts of the lining would be easiest. I would do this by cutting the pocket double high, or double wide. Double it over, whichever way you cut it double, and sew this piece to it's self with right sides together except for the top. Invert to wrong sides together and press. Pressing in a seam allowance on the top this time. Sew a seam over this top with topstitching. Now pin and sew the pocket to the desired location on the inside "side" lining, with topstitching, before assembling the lining into the purse shape. Sew 3 sides to lining. Do not sew the top of the pocket down to your purse insides, so that it can open still!
Piece together parts: Begin assembling and sewing the parts together into the shape of your bag. This time you are using that seam allowance you allowed. Right sides together. Remember the "good" side is on the inside of the bag, so it will be on the inside of the lining.

For round bag above, sew one bottom to it's proper place on front, or back piece, around edges. Then take the other side of the bottom rectangle (attached, now) and sew it to the other bottom edge of the front, or back, piece. Which ever piece is remaining. Now you have the shape of the bag you knitted.

Hand baste: Hand baste the form you have made into the bag you are lining leaving ¼ inch, or so, of bag unlined at the top edges. Depending on your preference and what kind of bag you have. Use regular sewing thread and a needle. You don't want the lining to poke out the top of the bag.

Insert any findings: like magnetic snaps, or zippers. Glue button, if desired over the back of the finding if you would like to push it directly through the knit bag for a closure. You may also like to make fabric tabs at each side to use the magnetic snaps on so you don't have to push the magnet findings through your bag. Then you wouldn't have to cover the findings over your bag with a button or bead decoration. You could also make a fabric loop inside the bag catching in a metal D ring to hook your keys onto inside the bag. The fabric tab attached to the lining could also attach your handles if they are connected to the bag with a D type ring.
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