19 July 2022

The inside story – adding a fabric liner to a bag

Weymouth Bag by Moira Ravenscroft, Wyndlestraw Designs
In my last blogpost I was writing about how much I have been enjoying using my new Weymouth Shoulder Bag which you can see in the photo above. This is a neat, fabric-lined bag and can be used as a handbag or a shopping bag. 

The cotton outer shell is worked in a crisp cotton yarn using Embossed Check Stitch, which is a wonderfully textural pattern from our Reversible Knitting Stitches book. This is a strong stitch with a structure that looks almost crocheted. I then added a light-weight fabric lining and love the versatility this has given the bag.

The lining was super-easy to do too, so that  inspired me to add a lining to a few other bags and that is what I have been working on in the last couple of weeks.
BYOB Market Bag by Moira Ravenscroft, Wyndlestraw Designs
So first, I decided to add a lining to my BYOB Market Bag that I made some while back. I had some lovely bright yellow fabric left-over from a skirt that I made last year which looked a perfect colour match. 

I followed the lining instructions from the Weymouth Shoulder Bag pattern, but cut the fabric a little "oversized" so that the bag would still be flexible and roomy. I didn't want to lose the advantage of a nice stretchy bag the next time I headed to the Farmers' Market! ​
BYOB Market Bag by Moira Ravenscroft, Wyndlestraw Designs - with lining added
I also added a deep phone pocket at the top and a key tag so I could retrieve my house keys easily. 

With the lining the bag works perfectly for heavier loads coming back from the market. It also co-ordinates really well with the unlined BYOB Bags that I always carry for all the bulky light-weight items. Perfect!
Lunch Bag with lining by Moira Ravenscroft, Wyndlestraw Designs
Then I decided to make a fabric-lined lunch bag. One of the issues of having Coeliac Disease is that I am never quite sure if I'll find anywhere with gluten-free food when we are out and about, especially in rural areas. So I always carry some items around with me when we go out for the day. 

For this bag, I wanted to make it short and square so I could fit my lunch box and a few nibbles inside. I chose a combination of Rice Stitch and Half-Twisted Rib from our Reversible Knitting Stitches book for the sides and love the way this combination has worked. I can see myself using this again in the future. The twisted stitches also add strength to the fabric so it shouldn't stretch out of shape in use.

I added some long ribs at the corners for definition and then brought the top in slightly with a decorative top edge. I will thread a string through the holes in that border to act as a gather to cinch the bag closed.
Lunch Bag with lining by Moira Ravenscroft, Wyndlestraw Designs
Now I am at the stage where I am ready to line the bag. I was pleased to find some really interesting Japanese fabric on-line. This seems to be so appropriate given that the lunch box I have is a Bento box that we purchased on our last visit to Japan a few years ago! 

Now I just need to put it all together and add the handles. I will probably also add a piece of plastic canvas as a base for extra stability. I used that technique in the Weymouth Shoulder Bag and found it worked so well to give a nice flat base. 

I hope that will inspire you to add some fabric linings to your own knitting bags. To explore all the bag patterns I have available, please click here, and to read more about our Reversible Knitting Stitches book, please click here.

Until next time - Happy Bag Knitting!

Moira
Keywords: Patterns/Bags,
bag, bags, market bag, lunch bag, fabric lining, lined bag, knitted bag, market bag, shoulder bag,

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