Lining a crocheted bag?

[Mygosh]

Hi

 

Wondering if anyone has any hints or tips for measuring and making a cotton lining for my crocheted backpack? As the base is oval, I just don't know where to start! The circumference of the bag is 32'' / 81cm and the height measures 16'' / 41cm.

 

Thanks!

[Granny Square]

For lining most things, you want the lining a little bigger than the thing lined.  For jacket linings for example, you'll often see a tuck sewn in the lining fabric at the neck, leaving extra fabric in the body.  This is so the lining doesn't pull in in strange spots on the outside jacket.  

 

I suggest if you have a machine, to use that to sew the lining pieces together, but hand sew the completed lining to the crochetwork.  If you don't have a machine, of course it can all be hand sewn.

 

Draw an outline of the oval bottom on paper.  Then, draw a 1 cm border all around that, then on 1 of the long sides, extend that border by an additional 1 cm.  The border is your seam allowance, the 'extra' is going to be the ease, or extra fabric.

 

Now, measure the perimeter of that original outline of the oval bottom.  If you don't have a tailor's tape measure, just lay a string of yarn around the outline and measure the yarn.  To this measurement, add 2 cm (1 seam allowance for each side).  Measure the height of the bag, from the oval bottom to the top, adding 1 cm seam allowance for the bottom, and at least 3, or more, for the top allowance (you can always trim later, the extra allows for adjustment when placing it).

 

Cut a fabric oval from your pattern, and a rectangle from the measurements of the second step.

 

Sew the rectangle up the side, with 1 cm seam allowance, with right sides together.  Press the seam open - not 100% necessary but makes things easier & look nicer.  With right sides together, with the seam of the tube centered on 1 narrow end of the oval, pin one end of the tube you've just made to the oval; there will be a little puckering of the oval, because you made it a bit bigger, but this is OK - just try to either even out the puckers as much as possible, or create a large pleat/pucker at each end if you'd rather.

 

The right side of the fabric should be on the inside still; fold the top of the lining out, measure where you want it to be sewn to the crocheted bag, and press the top edge of lining toward the back, press.  Pin and sew by hand, again taking care to even out the slight puckering (you might be able to take advantage of crochet's sketchiness in this step).  When you pin the top edge, take care that you leave a little extra fabric top to bottom as well, to prevent your top seam from pulling down the fabric of the outer bag. 

[Mygosh]

Thank you for the very helpful advice & instructions! Exactly what I needed

Excited now that I can carry on with my rucksack!