How to Fix the Peeled Lining of a Bag

Linings, being made of thin fabrics and bearing a good deal of hard use, are often one of the first things to go in a bag. Luckily, they can be repaired without too much trouble. If your lining has started to peel out of the bag, follow these steps to remove and replace it.

Things You'll Need

• Sufficient lining material such as acetate
• Pins
• Tailor's chalk
• Strong button thread
• Scissors
• Iron

Instructions

1. Carefully remove the remaining lining from the bag, using scissors, a seam ripper or both. Rip all the remaining seams so that the lining is in pieces.

2. Trace the outlines of the old lining pieces onto the new lining fabric with tailor's chalk, wrong sides up. Make the new pieces slightly bigger than the old, about 1/4-inch all around. If the old pieces are so tattered you can't make out their original shapes, use the sides of the bag as pattern pieces instead. Lay the sides of the bag down on the lining fabric and trace around them.

3. Pin the lining pieces as they fit together. Make sure right sides are together.

4. Sew the lining pieces together, starting with the smaller seams first if there are more than two lining pieces. Use a 5/8-inch seam allowance or your preferred seam allowance.

5. Press the lining using low heat. Fold down the entire top toward the wrong side about 5/8-inch and press down.

6. Pin the new lining to the bag, the wrong side of the lining touching the bag. Hand sew the lining in at the top using extra-strong thread and a small overcast stitch or your preferred stitch.

Tips & Warnings

• The difficulty of this project will depend on the particular bag. Features such as zippers and leather will make this project more challenging.

Resources

• Fiber Images: Hand Sewing Stitches