Linings can make your clothes last longer, make sheer fabrics more versatile, and even make your jackets warmer. In this episode, Helen and Caroline review how to sew linings, how to draft linings, and how to choose the perfect lining fabric for your garment.
The transcript for this episode is on this page at the end of the show notes.
We are doing an episode all about fitting with expert Alexandra Morgan of In-House Patterns!
Would you like to be featured on an upcoming episode and get expert fitting advice at the same time? Alexandra will be evaluating photos of listeners’ fitting issues and giving advice on how to get the perfect fit. If you would like to be featured in the episode, send photos of one garment to our email, hello@lovetosewpodcast.com.
Alexandra has some advice for taking your pictures.
- First, make sure to press your garment! Alexandra needs to be able to see what’s going on.
- Second, stand with your feet hip width apart and your hands at your sides. You can sit if you’re not able to stand!
- Have someone else take the pictures, or use a tripod and a self-timer.
- If you’re taking a picture of a top or dress, have the camera at the level of your bust. If you’re taking pictures of pants or a skirt, have the camera at the level of your hips.
- Send in photographs of your front, back, and side views.
Please include a written description of your fitting issue that we can read on the show! Remember, this is an audio format, so we need to be able to describe the issue.
The photographs you send in will be posted in the show notes on our website so that listeners can follow along! This is a fabulous opportunity to get some amazing fitting advice and to help other sewists learn how to fit garments. We hope you’ll consider sending in some photos!
Previous Episodes Mentioned:
Helen wearing the bridesmaid dress she made for her sister’s wedding! The pattern is the Flora Dress by By Hand London (Helen accidentally called it the Hannah Dress in the episode).
Learning Resources:
- “How to Add a Lining to the Pona Jacket” on the Helen’s Closet Patterns blog – includes instructions for drafting and sewing a lining!
- “How to Hand Pick a Lapped Zipper” by Rosie_Wednesday on Cut Out + Keep (unfortunately, the Craftsy article is no longer available)
- “Emery Dress Sewalong – Zipper and Bodice Lining” on the Christine Haynes blog (a great tutorial for inserting an invisible zipper in a lined bodice!)
- “Ideas for Lining the Sienna Maker Jacket” by Amy on the Closet Core blog
- “How to Draft a Removable Jacket Lining for the Thayer Jacket” at Amy Nicole Studio
Sewing Patterns Mentioned:
- Muna and Broad Glebe Pants – the pattern Jess used to make her Petti-pants!
Selected Fabrics Mentioned (plus one machine foot):
Transcript:
Caroline: We are recording today on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territories of the Coast Salish and Kwakwaka’wakw peoples, including Tsleil-Waututh, Squamish, Musqueam, and K’ómoks first nations.
Hello, and welcome to Love to Sew. I’m Caroline, the owner of Blackbird Fabrics.
Helen: And I’m Helen, the designer behind Helen’s Closet Patterns.
Caroline: We’re two sewing buds who love to sew our own clothes and want to encourage you on your sewing journey, too.
Helen: Join us for today’s topic: lining.
Caroline: Hello, Helen.
Helen: Hi, Caroline.
Caroline: How are you doing today?
Helen: I’m doing well. Thanks. How are you?
Caroline: I am really good.
Helen: I’m actually very excited to talk to our listeners about a little announcement we have about a future episode.
Caroline: Oh my gosh. I am so excited about this, too. Let’s, let’s fill them in.
Helen: Yes. We have gotten so many requests over the years about doing more episodes about fitting, and we really want to deliver on this. And one of the challenges is that it’s hard to do it without the visuals because, of course, with fitting issues, we want to see those drag lines. We want to see that fabric pooling. So we’ve decided to do a whole episode about fitting with fitting expert, Alexandra Morgan.
And if you’d like to be featured on this upcoming episode and get expert fitting advice at the same time, Alexandra will be evaluating photos of listeners’ fitting issues and giving custom advice on how to get the perfect fit. So if you would like to be featured in this episode, you can send photos of one garment to our email, hello@lovetosewpodcast.com.
Caroline: And Alexandra has some advice for taking your pictures. So first you want to make sure to press your garment. Alexandra is going to need to be able to see what’s going on, so you don’t want any errant folds or, you know, weird, wrinkly lines that might distract from the actual drag lines or fit lines that she’s going to be looking at.
Helen: Second, you want to stand with your feet hip width apart and your hands at your sides, and you can totally sit if you’re not able to stand.
Caroline: And have someone else take the pictures or use a tripod and a self-timer, so you get that perfect angle.
Helen: Yes. And speaking of angles, if you’re taking a picture of a top or a dress, have the camera at the level of your chest. And if you’re taking pictures of pants or a skirt, have the camera at the level of your hips.
Caroline: And you want to be sending in photos of your front, back. and side to make sure that we get all the angles.
Helen: Yes. And please include a written description of your fitting issue that we can read on the show. Because this is an audio format podcast, we need to be able to describe the issue, but in addition to the audio format, we’re going to have these photographs that you send in posted in the show notes. So make sure you’re comfortable with that also. It’s going to be on our website so that listeners can follow along with the episode, see the pictures that we’re referring to, and follow along with the fitting advice that Alexandra’s going to be giving.
Caroline: Yes, it’s such a good opportunity to get amazing fitting advice and help other sewists to learn how to fit garments, so we really hope that you’ll consider sending in some photos. Again, our email address is hello@lovetosewpodcast.com. We thank you in advance and Helen, honestly, I’m so excited for this episode. When we came up with this concept, we were, kind of, blown away. Like, how have we not done this before? And I have hosted some workshops at Blackbird with Alexandra Morgan, and she is so good at what she does. So we have so much to learn from her. I’m so happy she agreed to come on the show and do this.
Helen: Yeah, me too. I can’t wait.
Alright. We also have some feedback from Brendan via email. I have been sewing garments for myself, my partner, and my father for about a year now and have amassed a small collection of English language patterns for more masculine styles and men’s fashion on Pinterest. I thought it might be useful to share this Pinterest board with listeners of the podcast.
Of course, there might be more interesting or useful databases in collections out there that I just haven’t found yet, but there’s a surprising variety of digital and print patterns online. They’re often difficult to hunt down since they don’t seem to be frequently shared. I’ll be adding to this collection as I find more and plan on creating sections within the board for different garment types. And I also want to add a sew along section, so people can easily find those since they tend to hide within the vastness of the internet.
Oh man. That is true. Thank you so much for writing to us, Brendan. This resource is really fantastic, so we’re going to share it in the show notes, and we hope you go check it.
Caroline: Yes. Thank you, Brendan.
Okay. We’re going to also answer a question on today’s episode. So this question is really more of a statement actually. Back when we posted our sewing vocabulary episode, @i.am.nataleem on Instagram commented: “Armscye has me stumped but it wasn’t on the list!”
How did we forget armscye?
Helen: I can’t believe we forgot armscye. Okay. This does stump a lot of people. It’s such a strange word. It’s not something you hear in the real world, but in the sewing world, you hear it all the time.
The armscye is the arm hole opening in the bodice of a garment. So if you’re looking at a shirt’s front pattern piece, it’s the curved line on the outside seam that your arm is going to go through or that the sleeve is going to connect to. And that’s it.
You’ve probably heard about armscye adjustments. The length of an armscye is the full measurement around the opening. Lengthening the armscye opens up the arm hole to make more room for your shoulder so you can move your arms more easily. Shortening it closes it up for a closer fit up into your armpit. And if you’re making a top with sleeves and you lengthen or shorten the arm side, you’ll need to adjust the sleeve cap as well. That’s the part that attaches to that armscye.
There’s a lot of different fitting and adjustment things that you can do around armscyes, and they can be a little mysterious, but there’s a tutorial on the Sonia Estep Designs blog for making these adjustments that we will link in the show notes. It took me a while to figure out how to say this word because it is spelled rather strangely, but it is pronounced: arm-sigh.
Caroline: Armscye.
Helen: Armscye.
Caroline: Armscye.
Helen: Kind of sounds relaxing. Yeah. The armscye.
Caroline: I actually find arm side dress adjustments really stressful. So yeah, it’s good that it has a relaxing sounding name.
Helen: That’s true. I also have a little enamel pin that says, “The scye is the limit.” And it’s a little picture of an armscye.
Caroline: That‘s adorable.
Okay, Helen, let’s get into the show cause this episode is all about lining.
Helen: Yes! A lining goes inside a garment, and it’s usually made from a different fabric than the fashion fabric on the outside. It covers the inside of the garment and usually fits closely to the shell, meaning the outside of the garment.
Caroline: And today we’re going to discuss why you might want a lining, ways to sew a lining, and how to draft a lining, and variations on lining.
Helen: Yes, but first let’s share our personal experiences with lining. Caroline, any thoughts?
Caroline: Okay. So I’ve definitely had some experience with lining. I’ve lined coats, jackets, blazers, skirts, and dresses. We covered drafting a lining and sewing a lining when I was in school. So I’m familiar with the, kind of, drafting process. Definitely don’t get much practice with drafting my own lining. I usually will opt for a pattern that already has it built in or already has it drafted. I’d say the most common type of lining I do is, like, the bodice of a dress or maybe the lining in a coat or a swimsuit lining if that counts.
Helen: Totally.
Caroline: Definitely always line my swimsuits. Personally, I love a rayon bemberg or, like, cupro for lining coats. That’s my favorite fabric, uh, for that purpose. And for dresses, I generally line in a similar fabric to the shell of the garment, but it definitely depends on the fabric.
And I mean, I will mention here, as everyone knows, I love a quick and simple sewing project, so I don’t line garments all that often. And I will usually opt for projects that don’t have a lining if I can. But I do think, like, it’s good to practice patience and slow sewing once in a while. So I do try to make something with a lining, like, every once in a while.
Helen: Once a decade.
Caroline: Maybe once a year.
Helen: Once a year. Yeah.
Caroline: What about you? What’s your experience with lining?
Helen: I thought I hadn’t had a lot of experience, but when I started thinking about it, I realized, like you said, like, swimsuit lining, I think totally counts. Or lining a coat or a jacket, I’ve definitely done that many times. I don’t have a ton of experience lining dresses or trousers, in particular. Um, my first lined jacket, I learned a hard lesson. I used a poly fabric because of the adorable flamingo print that was on it, but it was so unbearably hot. And it just ripped at the seams cause I didn’t finish any of the seams cause I didn’t think I needed to, but it just unraveled as I wore it. And, like, it wasn’t a very high quality poly, so it just came apart.
And so since then, I switched to using other fabrics like silk or even flannel, if you want a nice cozy lining. I love a slippery silk lining, especially in, like, the sleeve of a garment. It just feels so luxurious. I also think rayon bemberg is amazing, as you mentioned.
And I did line a couple of By Hand London Hannah Dresses that I made a few years back, uh, one of which was for my sister’s wedding, so maybe we can put a little picture of that in the show notes. We were using a poly satin for the bridal party dresses because the color was just perfect for the palette of the wedding, but I didn’t want that up against my skin because I find that irritates my skin, so I lined mine in a rayon challis, and it actually worked out really well. So it wasn’t the, kind of, pairing that you would expect, but I think that it just worked really well. It gave me a nice soft finish underneath.
Um, I also tend to shy away from projects with linings. I mean, I usually like a quick sew as well. And I do have quite a collection of sheer fabrics, but I haven’t used them because of this. So I do want to sit with them, and I know that I need to do a lining or just embrace the sheerness, one or the other. So this might be the push I need. Let’s learn about lining.
Caroline: Let’s do it. We’re going to learn all together.
Helen: So what are some reasons that one might want a lining?
Caroline: So you might want a smoother fabric on your skin than your fashion fabric. Jacket and coat fabrics, for example, will often feel a bit scratchy and can irritate your skin. So a smooth lining fabric will feel nicer.
Helen: Yeah, linings can make dressing easier. A smooth lining makes your jacket easier to take on and off, keeps it from bunching up against the fabric of the top that you’re wearing underneath or getting caught on, like, your hips as you put it on and take it off.
Caroline: You might want to line a sheer or semi sheer fabric to feel less exposed. There are so many gorgeous sheer fabrics out there, as Helen knows. There are some in year stash, but there aren’t a whole lot of us prepared to wear those without something underneath. So a lining will expand the wearability of those fabrics. There are also fabrics that seem like they would be opaque, but in the sunlight, they show the full shadow of your body. So if that makes you uncomfortable, a lining might be the answer for you.
Helen: A lining can also make a garment last longer. The outer fabric is protected from your skin’s natural oils and moisture, so it won’t look as worn from the outside as it would without a lining.
Caroline: Totally and a lining hides your garments guts. So all those interfacing, seam allowances, pocket bags, they can be hidden under a beautiful, smooth layer of fabric. And the bonus is you can use cool colors or prints for your linings as a special detail.
Helen: Yeah. If you’re using a lining, you don’t necessarily have to do fancy seam finishes because everything is going to be enclosed inside, so that is definitely a benefit. And there’s lots of good reasons to consider a lining, but there are also drawbacks to linings. Maybe? Yes.
Caroline: Yeah. I think there could be a few, one would be linings increase the amount of time spent on a project. So it’s, kind of, like making two garments and then sewing them together.
Helen: Yes. And linings can also add bulk. So even the thinnest lining fabrics can change the look of a garment depending on what the outside fabric is like.
Caroline: Linings can change how a garment feels to wear. So, for example, if you make a pair of wool pants but use a satin poly lining, you could lose the breathability of the wool. Or if you’re making a summer dress out of linen, adding a lining would make the garment thicker and maybe warmer to wear, so you might not feel like wearing it during the hottest weather.
Helen: True and linings can be tricky to sew. You might need to hand sew some of it. If you’re not comfortable with hand sewing, you can do the bagging out method, but be careful because if you make your lining too short, it could pull at your outer fabric and distort the shape of the garment, depending on how that lining is attached to the inside.
Um, so it does take a little bit of practice when working with linings. And lining fabrics are quite shifty and slippery so, not the easiest fabrics to work with either, especially when it comes to cutting things out and fraying and stuff like that.
Caroline: Yeah. But I hope we didn’t scare you off because linings are definitely doable. They just take a bit of know-how and consideration at the early stage of sewing. And a beautifully done lining can really raise a garment to couture levels. So…
Helen: Yeah, up that sewing game.
Caroline: Okay. I think we should talk about fabric first cause choosing the right fabric for your lining is absolutely essential. So let’s go over some of the lining fabrics that are out there.
Helen: Yes. Most of the fabrics you’ll find labeled as lining in fabric stores are made from polyester. Woven polyester is lightweight, thin, it can be very smooth and slippery and all of these qualities make it good for lining. They’re usually very affordable, too, which is a nice bonus.
But the drawback to these, as we mentioned previously, is that they’re not super breathable. So if you have a light, floaty garment, it might not make a huge difference, but if you’re a sweaty person like myself, it might make your clothing less comfortable to wear.
Also, synthetic linings tend to have issues with static. So to cut that static down, you can moisturize your body with lotion. Ooh. The moisture will kill the static, or you can spray your lining or body with some hairspray. No big deal. Just, like, quick hair spray.
Caroline: I love that this is a tip that we’re giving, but also spraying my body with hairspray does not sound like a good time for me. It’s just sticky.
Helen: No, I think that might clog my pores, personally, but I do like the moisturizing tip.
Caroline: Yeah. Okay. Another type of lining fabric that you’ll come across is lightweight rayons like viscose, Tencel, lyocell and EcoVero. These can make great linings. Rayons are breathable, and they have a cool hand, so they’re really comfy against the skin. Plus, they’re often smoother than other breathable fabrics like cotton and linen. Bemberg rayon is a popular and beautiful choice for linings. It’s almost as smooth as satin.
Helen: Yeah. That’s why it’s our favorite.
Caroline: Yeah, exactly. It’s true. It’s like you get the breathability of the rayon, but you’re not going with a poly satin, you’re going with, you know, something a little bit more, that feels a little bit more natural against the skin and also, kind of, on the affordable side in compared to silk. So we love rayon bemberg. And you typically want a lightweight fabric for a lining, so the weight is not distorting the outer garment. So fabrics like Tencel Twill are going to be a little bit too heavy, generally speaking, for lining.
Helen: Yes, I did line a jacket once with Tencel Twill and, uh, it worked out well, but the jacket is heavy. Like, it feels like I’m putting on a weighted blanket and, you know, for some people that might be a really nice feeling. And in certain climates, it certainly feels lovely, but something to consider.
Yeah. Okay. Silk is a beautiful choice for lining. As we mentioned, you will want to choose a lightweight and smooth weave like a charmeuse, habotai, or crepe de Chine. These fabrics are what the polyester lining fabrics are trying to imitate. Silk is breathable and feels really lovely on the skin. The only thing is that it’s pricier, and it might need to be hand washed or dry cleaned. So it’s definitely a little bit more of an investment.
Caroline: Yeah, and I want to talk a little bit more about habotai since it’s a fabric we’ve never really talked about on the podcast before. So habotai is a plain weave silk fabric that’s super lightweight and smooth. It’s also known as China silk. And if you see a fabric labeled as silk lining, it’s probably habotai. It’s typically used as a lining for higher end garments like wedding gowns. And it’s on the more affordable end of silk fabrics, so that’s one thing to keep in mind as well. And because of its weave, it frays a lot. So French seams are always a good idea.
Helen: Yes. I see this fabric recommended for sewing your own wedding dress. Um, and I’ve seen it around the internet, so that’s really cool. Maybe one day I’ll get a chance to use it.
Caroline: Mhm. Okay. So cotton can also be a solid option for a lining. A lightweight lawn, batiste, or voile under a summer dress or skirt is super nice and breathable. It’s also easily washable. And a thicker cotton, like flannel, can be really good for, like, a warm interlining. We’ll discuss interlining a bit later in this episode. The drawback of cotton is that it doesn’t usually have the smooth surface you’d want for a lining, so you might notice some bunching as the lining and the shell fabrics drag across each other.
Helen: Yes. And cotton works really well for lining embroidered fabrics like eyelets because you get that little pop of color underneath or you can do something that will blend in a little bit better. Um, linen has similar properties to cotton. It will be breathable but could bunch up since it isn’t as smooth. Um, it also wrinkles, so, as we know, expect the lining to be wrinkly as well. Linen is stronger than cotton though, so it will last longer. So that’s something, too.
Caroline: Mhm, and wool, isn’t usually used as a lining. Wool garments are usually lined with something else. However, this could make a nice interlining for a super warm coat or jacket.
Helen: Yes, and stretch linings are a smaller category. They’re usually used for swimsuits or performance wear, like for dancers or ice skaters. They come in a few neutral shades, and you can make your swimsuit more opaque and give it a little bit more structure by using a lining. They’re usually made of polyester or nylon which makes them wearable in the water. And there are many types of swim linings on the market. Um, there’s also power mesh, firm power mesh, tricot. There really isn’t a right or wrong choice. You just have to experiment and figure out what your favorite one is.
Caroline: Mhm. Okay. Self linings are another option. This is where you use the same fabric for the shell and the lining of a garment. This is an unusual choice because typically the fabrics used for the outside of garments are more expensive than the fabrics used for lining. However, it’s definitely an option.
If you have a ton of lightweight, solid color fabric that’s just a bit too sheer, why not use the same fabric for a lining? Although if you have a print that’s a bit too sheer, you don’t want to use that print as a self lining because the print will show through on the right side and, kind of, create a weird visual effect, unless you’re going for that.
Helen: Yeah, it could look really cool. Double layer print.
Okay. So choosing your lining and shell fabrics is definitely a bit like matchmaking. You want them to be a great couple. So here’s some things to consider: is your shell fabric breathable? Then use a breathable lining fabric, so you don’t lose that lovely property.
Caroline: Pair rough with smooth. So if you’re making a boucle jacket, you will want a smooth lining so that the textured fabric doesn’t catch on it.
Helen: Think about the bulk. So for dresses, skirts, and pants, you want a lightweight lining to keep a smooth line. For bigger jackets and coats, you could go with a mid-weight fabric that won’t disturb the structure of the garment.
Caroline: And if you’re lining a sheer or semi sheer fabric, you’ll want to be particular about the color you choose since you’ll see it from the outside. So you can lay a swatch of your shell fabric over the lining fabric to see how it will look from the outside. And here’s a tip for semi sheer fabrics. If you choose a lining color that’s close to your skin tone, the lining will seem invisible from the outside.
Helen: Ooh, lining can affect the drape of a shell fabric, too. So you want your lining fabric to have the same or more drape than your shell fabric. So to see what kind of drape your fabric has, hold it from the corner so that’s falling on the bias. This is what you always see fabric stores doing in Instagram videos. Drapier fabrics will fold together to form a thinner shape and less drapey fabrics will stick out at the sides and make a wider shape.
Caroline: Yeah, that’s a really great tip. And you also want to consider how you’re going to wash it. You will need to follow the care instructions for the most restrictive fabric you use. So if your lining is dry clean only, you need your whole garment to be dry clean only.
Helen: Yes and make sure to prewash all your fabrics. If your lining fabric shrinks in the wash and your shell fabric doesn’t, it will mess up the shape of your final garment when you go to wash it, or like we said, you can just commit to dry clean life.
Caroline: You may also want to use a stronger fabric for pockets. Pockets can get a lot of wear from holding your stuff and from you jamming your hands into them. So you might consider using a strong tightly woven fabric for them, usually cotton works best. I remember making coats with you and our friend Tasia and, uh, Tasia had some extra, like, thermal lining, and I used it for my pockets, and I love that coat because the pockets are, like, extra warm for my hands.
Helen: Ooh, that’s so good. I love that idea. Okay. You can have fun with color and print with linings, too. It is so fun to choose a lining. You can go really matchy-matchy. Or you can do something with a lot of contrast. So pairing a neutral fabric with a pop of color for the lining or a solid exterior with a fun print on the inside. Just watch out for areas where the lining might show through, like peeking out at a neck or an arm opening. Um, you can do a facing there to hide the lining. Uh, if you plan to roll up your sleeves on your jacket, that’s another opportunity for that to peep out, and, you know, that might be exactly what you want. I love seeing, like, a nice neutral gray coat with, like, a gold or red or blue lining. It’s just so much fun.
Caroline: Mhm. Yes. You can really have a blast with that. Special mention about sleeves. If you choose something that isn’t slippery like a cotton or flannel, you might want to have a slippery fabric lining just for the sleeves of the, your garment. This is going to ensure that your arm glides smoothly into the sleeve.
Helen: Yes. I love a smooth glide. Okay. So you’ve got your fabrics picked out, hopefully pre-washed. The next hurdle is sewing your lining. First, you’re going to be okay.
Caroline: Yes, you will. Okay. There are a couple of general methods for sewing in linings that we want to go through. The first method is “bagging out.” This is where you sew up the shell fabric part of the garmen first. Then, you sew up the lining the same way you sewed the shell. Then, you sew the shell to the lining, right sides together, leaving an opening large enough to turn the garment right side out. After you turn it out, you hand sew the opening closed. So, this method is quick since you’re using the sewing machine for almost all of it.
The drawback is that if you need to adjust the lining, you have to turn the entire garment inside out, restitch, and then turn it right side out again. It can be a little bit stressful, especially with fabrics that fray easily. But seam rippers exist for a reason, right? So just make sure not to trim your seams before you turn the garment right side out to check that everything looks good. This is what we called lovingly in Jasika’s episode, “birthing the coat,” where there’s a tiny opening and you’re, kind of, pulling a coat like the, all of the bulk of the coat fabric through, and then magically, you end up with a lined coat you, kind of, as you’re doing it you’re like, is this really happening? Oh my gosh. Is it working? And then it works and it’s great.
Helen: So yeah, it really is one of those magic moments, and it makes you feel like you have super powers the first time you bag a lining. Uh, definitely recommend if you’re looking for a project to up your sewing game.
Caroline: Yeah.
Helen: Okay. The second method is hand-setting the lining. This is when you sew up the shell of the garment, then you construct parts of the lining by machine. When you go to attach the lining to the shell, however, it’s going to be mostly hand sewing. This is obviously slower than bagging out, but it gives you the opportunity to adjust the lining where you need to. You can carefully ease in the shoulders, make sure the lining isn’t tugging on the shell fabric. And generally, just give it a much more couture finish and just have a nice relaxing time on your couch with your hand sewing needle.
Caroline: Mhm. Yeah, I think this is probably the safest way to go if you’re worried about, maybe your fabrics are particularly shifty, or you noticed as you were constructing your lining, oh, it’s looking a little wonky for whatever reason. This method is slower, but it’s going to get you, like, a really, really professional finish.
Some linings can hang free at the bottom hem. So linings for tops, skirts, dresses, and pants generally aren’t attached to their shells at the hems. They’re hemmed separately about an inch shorter. So they don’t peek out from the bottom.
Helen: Yes. I mean, on a skirt or a dress, you could even hem it, you know, two feet shorter if you’re working with, like, a long dress and then you have a bit of a, like, a sheer fabric on the outside, and you can just see that lining poking through on the inside. I think that can be a really beautiful look as well.
Um, once you’ve figured out which method you like, you can do this on pretty much every garment, even if the pattern instructions say to do it another way. If you haven’t figured out which one you like yet, try them both and see how you feel. Of course, if you’re not confident yet doing your own thing, pattern instructions can be a lifesaver. So in that case, follow each step carefully, and check twice before you do anything permanent, and just choose a pattern that has great lining pieces and instructions included.
Caroline: Yeah. I always tend to follow pattern instructions the first time I make a garment because sometimes I’ll discover, like, a new way of doing things that’s really, you know, exciting and different. And sometimes I’ll like it more than my own, like, tried and true method. But then if I realize I like my method better, the next time I make it, I’ll make an adjustment.
Helen: Then you get that satisfaction of being like, no, I’m going to do it my way.
Caroline: My way is better. Yeah. Okay. So that’s the basics of lining garments, but of course, there are some tricky parts that you’ll face with different garments.
So let’s talk about some special lining situations.
Helen: Yes! Okay. So, for example, working around closures like zippers. So with a regular zipper, you have a couple of options for how to sew your lining around it. The first method is machine only. So you baste the zipper openings of both your shell and your lining closed. You baste the zipper to the shell at the opening, and then you position your basted lining opening over the zipper and shell and pin it in place. The shell and the lining should be wrong sides together, and the zipper’s teeth should be centered over the basted seam on both the lining and the shell. The zipper pole should be facing the shell as well.
So, once you have your sandwich all pinned, you can use your zipper foot to sew a rectangle a quarter of an inch around the zipper teeth. And now you can pull out your basting threads, and your zipper is all finished. This way is pretty fiddly. And if you need to move the zipper pole so that you can sew your straight line, it can be difficult, or near impossible, to push it down.
A long stick, such as a chopstick, can help when you’re at your machine, and you can pull it up again by tying a string to the hole in the pole and having it hang out of the sandwich at the top. So with this one, you’ll really need to take your time and adjust, adjust, adjust. Easy Peasy Creative has a blog post on this method with lots of pictures cause, of course, me explaining it, probably not that helpful. So check out our show notes so you can see it for yourself.
Caroline: I can picture it in my mind’s eye.
Helen: Yeah, totally.
Caroline: Of course, this isn’t the only method. So, the second method uses some hand sewing. First, you use your machine to sew the zipper to the shell the way you normally would. Then, you press your lining seam allowances to the sides around the opening. You don’t baste it close. Finally, you hand sew the lining to the zipper tape, only. That way you won’t see any stitches on the outside. With this method, you don’t lap the lining over the zipper. Instead, you use a slip stitch to attach the lining to the zipper tape close to the zipper teeth. This way takes a little bit longer, but it’s easier to get a really clean finish.
Helen: Yeah, I definitely think this is the way I would go if I wanted to just, like, quickly hand stitch my lining over my zipper. And then, like we said, there’s no stitching on the outside. It’s perfect.
The third method is to hand sew the zipper entirely. This obviously takes a little more time, but it makes the zipper nearly invisible from the outside and leaves a gorgeous clean finish on the inside. And it’s going to give you a lot of control when you’re inserting your zipper. So, if you’re nervous about inserting a zipper, try hand sewing it. It’s actually easier sometimes than using a machine. So there’s a good article on how to handpick a lapped zipper on Craftsy that we’re going to link in the show notes. After you do that with the shell, you hand sew the lining opening around the zipper the way that we just talked about previously.
Caroline: Yeah, actually I’ve mentioned this on the show before. A handpicked zipper is definitely my preferred zipper insertion method, especially when I’m making, like, a party dress or something to wear to a wedding, which is often the only time I’m sewing a zipper into a garment, other then, like, pants. Um, so I think it’s, like, a great way to get control, get a couture method, and it just looks really good. So, yeah.
Helen: Yeah.
Caroline: Okay. So that’s all for regular zippers. What about invisible zippers?
Helen: Yes. And you can sew an invisible zipper using just your machine. You can use a zipper foot to sew the zipper to the shell garment. There’s even invisible zipper feet that you can use that will be a lifesaver here. And then you sew the lining onto the shell piece with right sides together. It’s like a sandwich of shell garment, zipper, and lining piece. Then, when you turn the lining into the garment, you’re left with a really neat seam where only the zipper teeth are visible at the edge. This is fast but a bit fiddly. Christine Haynes has an article on sewing an invisible zipper and a lined bodice that demonstrates how this all works.
Caroline: Awesome. Okay. What about lining a sleeveless bodice? This can be tricky, but there are definitely work arounds. So you can bag it out. If you have a front and back piece without an opening for a zipper, you’re going to need to leave the shoulder seams open so you can turn it out. And once you do, you can hand sew them together. It can be difficult to make this look neat though because you’re sewing like a small circular seam.
Helen: Yes, a great alternative to bagging out a sleeveless bodice is the burrito method! Seamwork has a great video on this lining technique that we’ll link in the show notes for you, but we’ll walk you through it now. We actually use this for our Ashton Top pattern to do the all-in-one facing which can easily be extended into a lining, as well.
So, first you sew the shoulder seams of the shell and the lining together. Then, you sew the shell to the bodice at the neckline and under stitch the lining to the seam allowance. Then, lay your bodice right side out, and it’s time to do the burrito. Starting at one side seam, roll the garment up until you reach the second side seam. Wrap the arm hole edges around the burrito so you can sew that long arm hole seam with right sides together.
Make sure not to catch the burrito in your seam when you’re doing this which can be tricky depending on the bulk of the fabric, but you can do it. Pull the garment out through the arm hole so that it’s right side out, and then, repeat the little burrito method to sew the other arm hole seam. So now you can sew your side seams with right sides together, and you’ll have a beautifully matched sleeveless shirt or bodice. Burritos: great for dinner and for sewing.
Caroline: Imagine eating a burrito while you’re… actually that’s not a good idea. Burritos are too messy.
Helen: Burritos are, like, quintessentially messy.
Caroline: Um, no, I actually love the burrito method, but I find it really difficult to visualize with just words. So definitely recommend checking out that video cause it’s going to blow your mind when you actually see it in action.
Helen: Yeah. It’s so fun. Okay. Another special lining situation is underlining, also known as interlining. Interlining is usually used for warmth in coats and jackets, and it’s a great way to beef up your outerwear for colder climates.
Caroline: One way to interline is to baste your interlining to your lining pieces and then sew them as one piece. So, you’ll still be going through the steps of sewing your shell fabric to your lining fabric, but the lining will just be a lot thicker because of the interlining. Heather Lou from Closet Core Patterns interlined her Oslo Coat this way with Thinsulate which is a technical fabric developed for outerwear and sleeping bags. So you can also interline with batting or thick flannel, but Thinsulate is a really cool fabric if you’ve never worked with it before.
Helen: Another way to interline is to sew the interlining as one piece with the shell fabric, then finish the seams the way you normally would. A Hong Kong finish is a good idea for this because the seam allowance will probably be quite bulky.
Caroline: Yes, and another cool way to line coats and jackets is to make a removable lining. A removable lining makes a jacket more versatile for different temperatures. Amy from Closet Core Patterns made a canvas Sienna Maker Jacket with a removable lining, made from thick buffalo plaid. It’s so lumberjack chic. She made a post on the Closet Core blog with the details of how she made it, so we’ll link that up in the show notes. But essentially, she made a shorter sleeveless version of the jacket and put snaps all around the edge.
Snaps aren’t your only option, though. Amy of Amy Nicole Studio has a video tutorial for making a removable liner for the Grainline Thayer Jacket that zips in and out. So we’re going to link both of these resources in the show notes. Really, really cool, innovative ways to attach linings. I love it.
Helen: Ooh, I love the idea of interlining in a swimsuit, too. We just released the Sandpiper Suit this past summer, and you can actually use swimsuit lining and power mesh if you want. You could double up the lining and have that support structure, but if you don’t like the texture of power mesh, then you have that nice soft lining on the outside, so you can do this with knits, too.
Caroline: Very cool.
Helen: Okay. What if you want to line a garment, but the pattern doesn’t include a lining?
Caroline: Whew. I don’t know, Helen, throw in the towel.
Helen: No way! You can totally draft your own lining. It’s actually pretty straightforward. Each garment is going to have different pieces for making a lining. So we’re going to give you some general tips to help you out, but of course, depending on your project, it’s going to be a unique situation.
So your first step for drafting a lining is going to be to trace the pattern pieces onto fresh paper. You’ll need to make small but significant changes to the pattern pieces, so you don’t want to cut into your original pattern. Plus, you may want to save these pieces so you can use them again. Don’t forget to trace out markings like darts and notches, and make sure to label your pieces. Some sewists swear by specialty tracing papers like Swedish tracing paper, but artist tracing paper or craft paper will work just fine if that’s what you have on hand.
Caroline: Yes, and it’s a good idea to remove the seam allowance from your traced pieces. This makes things a lot less confusing as you move through the changes to the pattern pieces.
Helen: Now, you’re ready to make the changes to your pieces. There are some places where you’re going to want to make the lining bigger than the shell so that the lining doesn’t pull and distort the outside of the garment. On a jacket or bodice, you may want to incorporate a small pleat across the back. If you’re sewing a lining into a hem facing, you probably want to add a bit of ease by lengthening the lining piece. Both of these are achievable by slashing and spreading the pattern or simply extending out the areas as needed if it’s, like, a basic rectangle shape or something like that.
Caroline: Yeah, and there are other places where the lining should be smaller than the shell. The armscye of a jacket lining should be a bit higher than the armscye on the shell. And of course, linings that hang free at the hems should be shorter than the shell hem so that they don’t peak out.
Helen: Yes, and if there are seams in the garment that are more for style than for function, you can potentially eliminate them for your lining by taping those pattern pieces together, and then you don’t have to have that seam in your lining. You don’t have to match the fullness of the shell garment if your lining is hanging free. Like, for example, if you have a tiered skirt, you could line it with a simple, a-line skirt and save yourself from adding gathers to your lining which will of course add a lot of volume.
Caroline: Totally. You also may not have to line the whole garment. You can save yourself some time and effort by leaving sleeves unlined if that’s not important to you. And after you make the changes you want, add the seam allowances back to your pieces. And now you’re ready to cut out the lining.
Helen: Yeah, there’s a great article in Seamwork called “A Lesson in Lining” by Sabrina Lee that walks you through drafting and sewing a lining for a jacket or coat. We’ll definitely link that one in our show notes. It’s helpful for understanding linings, even if you don’t plan to draft your own.
Caroline: Yes. Okay. So what if your pattern is drafted for a lining, but you don’t want to line it?
Helen: Oh, this I can get behind. Okay. So all you have to do is sew up the pattern as planned and not attach the lining. Look through the pattern instructions to check if there’s anything that you’re going to need to change to go lining-less. Is that a word?
Caroline: Uh, now it is.
Helen: Lining-less. So with most patterns, you can sew it up and simply finish the seams in a different way. Maybe even do a decorative seam finish. You can check out our episode on seam finishes to go over your options. You might need to make another plan for finishing a neckline or arm holes though. Like bias binding could be good for that, or you could draft yourself some facing.
Caroline: Before we wrap up, I think it’s a good idea to mention something that’s like a lining, but not quite, slips.
Helen: Ooh.
Caroline: There was a time when pretty much every woman was expected to wear slips under every garment. I’m really happy we’re past that, Helen. We’re not arguing that we should bring that back, but instead, think of a slip like a lining that you can use for a bunch of different garments. It’s useful if you love sheer fabrics but don’t feel like showing a lot of your skin. Or if you love wool, but don’t like how scratchy it can be. Also, slips don’t need to be gendered. Slips for everybody.
Helen: Yes. You can make a super simple half slip to wear under skirts. There’s a good tutorial on Craftsy that recommends rayon bemberg fabric, but you could use any lining fabric. Essentially, very simple gathered waist skirt that you can just throw on under a skirt or a dress.
Caroline: Yeah, you can make a full slip to wear under dresses. Seamwork’s Cinnamon Slip and Friday Pattern Co’s Saltwater Slip Dress are good options.
Helen: You could also make a camisole. You don’t have to make a full slip, just like a simple little cami, maybe using the Ogden Cami pattern would be a good option. And then you can wear that under sheer blouses.
Caroline: Yeah. I also love that slips are an opportunity for a little bit of slow sewing, maybe a little bit of customization, like adding a lace trim or, I don’t know, some other kind of more finicky details because you can use it again and again. It’s not just going to be used for one garment.
Helen: Mhm, and Jess of Muna and Broad made some petti-pants which is a hilarious word for a very useful thing. She made pocketless Glebe Pants out of lining fabric and then finished them with foldover elastic at the waist. And now she has a lining she can use with a bunch of different pants. I’m so into this idea of a pants slip, like, to make it just more comfortable to wear certain fabrics. I think this could be really useful.
Caroline: Yeah. Especially if you wear a lot of, like, wool pants, I could totally see this working.
Helen: Yeah. So again, extending the wearability of your clothes or making them more durable in the long run because they’re not going to be as, I’m thinking of another word for soil cause I don’t want to say soiled…
Caroline: Exposed to our bodies’ natural oils?
Helen: Yeah, lovely.
Caroline: Okay. So, yeah, linings are here to make your clothing more wearable, and we hope that this episode made you feel more confident and comfortable with linings. And if not drop us a line about lining or just send us an email or a voicemail.
Helen: And tag us in your lined garments. I want to see all the beautiful work that you’ve put into those lined garments over on Instagram. So make sure you tag us this week, and we can do some reshares, and we love to see it.
Caroline: We love to see it.
That’s it for today’s episode of Love to Sew. You can find me Caroline at blackbirdfabrics.com and Helen at helensclosetpatterns.com.
Helen: We’re recording in beautiful British Columbia, Canada. Go to lovetosewpodcast.com to find our show notes. They’re filled with links and pictures from this episode. And if you’d like to get in touch with us, you can send us an email at hello@lovetosewpodcast.com.
Caroline: If you love Love to Sew and you want more, you can sign up for our Patreon. For $5 a month, you get a full length bonus episode and weekly behind the scenes pictures. For $10 a month, you get all that plus a mini episode focused on sewing techniques and 15% off codes for Helen’s Closet and Blackbird Fabrics. Patreon is the best way to support us so that we can keep making quality sewing content. Go to patreon.com/lovetosew for more info.
Helen: Thanks to our amazing podcast team. Lisa Ruiz is our creative assistant. Jordan Moore is our editor. And Margaret Wakelee is our transcriber.
Caroline: And thank you for listening. We’ll see you next week.
Helen: Buh-bye.
Caroline: Bye.
Helen: I usually like a quick sew also-le.
Caroline: A quick sew a-lol.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed
Do you have the link to Brendan’s pinterest collection? I somehow couldn’t find it, but am definitely interested in some more masculine patterns for my S.O.! Thank you – love this episode!
Hi Brianna! Here’s the link! For future reference, it’s the link at the top of the “Patterns” section on this page. Thanks so much for listening!!