how to: line the squares bag

Hurray, free how-to-line-your-squares-bag instruction day! :)

In this tutorial, you’ll learn how to sew a lining into your squares bag (free pattern for that here).
My sister-in-law taught me how to do this (she’s amazing with her sewing machine!), and it’s my favorite go-to way of lining a bag!

Update: The crochet pattern can be found here: how to crochet the squares bag!

What do you need:

• lining fabric
• batting
• fabric scissors
• pins
• sewing machine

Got everything? Let’s get started!

1. Grab your lining fabric. I’m using this awesome fabric from a local shop.

Fold your fabric in two, and lay your squares bag on top of it.

Cut around your bag, leaving about an inch of seam allowance.

2. Grab your batting.

Cut two pieces of batting the same way as the lining fabric.

3. We’re going to make a batting and lining fabric sandwich now! Grab your lining fabric, and put them right side together. Then add batting to the outsides. Like this:

Pin your sandwich together around the sides. Leave the top open!

4. Grab your sewing machine, and sew your sandwich together along the sides, but leave a big gap at the bottom. Be sure to backstitch next to the gap; we’ll use it later to turn the entire bag (batting, lining and crochet part) inside out.

5. Let’s sew our sandwich into our bag! Put your bag inside the sandwich, right sides together.

Pin down the top of the batting; we don’t need to sew that to the bag.

Pin the lining fabric to the inside row of double crochets. Flip the outside row down so you can reach it, and to be sure we don’t sew over it.

Sew along the top of the entire bag. Be sure to go slow; this is a hard part and it may be hard on your sewing machine as well! When the entire top is sewed together, it is time to turn your bag inside out through the hole in the sandwich. Don’t forget to remove the pins in the batting.

6. When your bag is right side out, put your hand in the hole and push up the batting into the points. Because the batting is so rough, the friction will stop it from dropping down again.

When you’re happy with your lining, sew together the hole inside your bag. You can do this by hand or you can do this with your machine.

And that’s it; your bag is lined! :)

With the same yarn as what you used to join the squares, crochet on the handles through the loops you made in the outside row of double crochets. I usually use a single crochet stitch for this. Sew on your favorite button and crochet on a loop on the other side of the bag (which I forgot to take pictures of, sorry!).

Enjoy your new bag! :)

Update: The crochet pattern can be found here: how to crochet the squares bag!

xo,
wink

ps This is just one way to line your bag. I am by no means a skilled sewer, so if you have a different way of doing this, please do so! :) This is just a suggestion of how you can do it.