Magic with hook and needles

By Vendulka - October 28, 2014

8 Comments

How to make a lining to crocheted bag

By Vendulka - October 28, 2014

Hi my dears,

it is lovely Tuesday, we are going with our girls on the trip to the mountains - oh, I am terribly looking forward to make a little break and spend the day at the mountain with my beloved ones. I hope you will have a nice time too :-). I didn't write quite long time, I was busy like a bee - I finished some of my news and revised some of my older patterns - but I will let you know about all in next posts, I promise.

Today I am here with my new free tutorial - How to sew the lining to crocheted bag.

I make the lining to every of my bigger bags. I am not professional seamstress, so this tutorial will be suitable for beginners (but very enthusiastic ones for sewing as same as I am :-) ). I wrote this tutorial, because you were writing me quite often with question, how I making the lining to my crocheted bags - so this tutorial is my collective answer.

So, what do you need?

Some crocheted bag will be fine :-) and fabric (100% cotton fabric), sewing threads, some pins, scissors, sewing machine and iron.

Tip: most of all, I am using 100% cotton fabric. It is better to wash it before sewing, because the cotton fabric will shrink after washing.

Instruction:

Please measure your bag :-)

My measurement:

For this tutorial I used one of my most favorite bags – Crazy rainbow bag. This bag is rectangle shaped with the bottom part.

Upper inner circumference of my bag is 74 cm

Don't forget to the addition fabric for the side seams – I have 1 cm for each side

Height of the my bag: backside 26 cm, bottom of the bag 6 cm, front-side 26 cm – totally 58 cm

Don't forget to the addition fabric for the seams of the upper edge – I have 5 cm of each side

Cut the rectangle of: width 76 cm (74 + 1 + 1) and height 68 cm ( 58 + 10)

*** Please adjust the measurement to your bag ***

Place the fabric at the half, with right side inside and sew it on the sides. I use zig-zag stitch first of all, but at the end of all work, I sew it again by basic stitch.

Make the lower corners:

Shape the fabric to make a tip, as you see on the picture below. The tip is right-angled and side seam, you made one step before, is directly in the middle. Sew the corner - the measurement of the corner seam will depends on the measurement of the bottom of your bag - I have 6 cm.

Then sew the lines of the lining's bottom. Iron the bottom lines first of all and then sew them 1 mm from the edges, as you see on the picture below. The bottom of the lining will get nice rectangular shape then.

Put the lining into your bag and fold upper edges two times as you see on the picture below. You will fold 2,5 cm of the fabric and them fold 2.5 cm again. Check, if it is enough and then iron it.

Sew upper edge by your sewing machine.

Turn the bag to the wrong side and sew the corner of the lining to the corner of the bag, as you see on the picture below. Then turn the bag to right side.

Final sewing :-). Pin the lining by some pins and sew it thoroughly by your hands. Use double thread. Insert the needle only in wrong side of the lining (don't goes through all upper edge), as you see on the pictures below. If you make it by this way – the stitches will look invisible. Nice, clean work :-)

Oh, your bag is lined ! Congratulation :-)

I hope, you will like this easy tutorial. If you have another tips, how to sew the lining into the crocheted bag, I will be glad you write me. Always is something what could be done better :-)

I wish you nice day!

20 Comments

crochet patterns by VendulkaM

Your beautiful projects :-)

By Vendulka - October 13, 2014

5 Comments

butterfly applique

How to sew the applique nicely

By Vendulka - October 07, 2014

Hi my dears,

you are asking me quite often, how I am sewing the crocheted appliques on my creations. So I decided to make an easy tutorial and I hope, you will like it :-)

Tutorial by VendulkaM: How to sew the appliqué

So, what do you need?: Some creation - hat, sweater, purse or something like that :-) - I have prepared a hat, crocheted applique, common sewing needle, common sewing thread and the scissors. Anyway how do you like my new butterfly applique ?:-) I designed new colorful collection - but about this next time. Back to our work.

When I am crocheting the applique, I am trying to work really preciously, neaten free threads thoroughly and nicely and I still shaping the applique, to final look will be nice. It is important to realize, that all details will be visible, when the applique is sewn.

So take your needle and try to find most similar color to fit to your creation. I made very colorful hat, but main color is light pink, so I am using light pink thread. I haven't exactly same pink shade, but similar - and if I will work good, the stitches will be invisible, so I could close my eyes over the pink shade a little bit.

Instruction:

First of all place the hat in front of you and then place the applique on it. Choose the right place, which you like and pin the applique to the hat. No need to use many pins, one or two is enough.

Little note: please think about the mirror view. If you will wear your applique on right side, place the applique to the left. I don't want to touch nobody - really! :-) But I remembered on the mirror view a few times in the past and then I had to unweaving... So I am talking from my own experience :-)

Tutorial by VendulkaM: How to sew the applique

To the threads: I am using common sewing threads. I am using double thread. The stitches are firmer. I make a knot at the end of the threads and I am ready for sewing.

If you are also ready - so we could begin :-) You will sew the applique from wrong side of the hat. So turn your hat to the wrong side. Still hold the applique by your fingers. Insert the needle through or better say inside the crocheted stitches like this way. If you will make the sewn stitches "inside" crocheted stitches, then they will look invisible.

Tutorial by VendulkaM: How to sew the applique

Sew from one side to another, work in one direction. Proceed systematic, sew small areas, begin from edges and then sew the middle of every single area. Still check the right shape of your applique. I am checking it after every two stitches. Still turning from wrong to right side - like crazy, but remember that final work is most important :-) Don't be hurry and work thoroughly.

When I need sew some special endings of the applique like curves of tiny parts and I need to sew more precisely, I turn the hat to right side and insert the needle from wrong side to right side to last but one row of the edge of the applique (not last stitch but like below last stitch of the applique) - like this:

Tutorial by VendulkaM: How to sew the applique

Then I continue with needle to wrong side again, then I make really tiny stitch inside the crocheted stitches again and then continue with needle from wrong to right side of the hat over and over. Still checking and shaping :-). At the end I make some inner zig zag stitches through all applique, still insert a needle "inside" the crocheted stitches. These final stitches make your applique more joined to the hat. There will be no bulging areas. And tadaaaah - it is finished.

This is detailed view of the wrong side of the hat. The applique is sewn almost invisibly :-)