
What You Need to Know Before Sewing Lining into Any Garment

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Useful but rather confusing.
I think you mean for the shoulder and neckline to take in 6/8th of a seam rather than 5/8ths. But clearly not at the hem?
And it’s not great to leave the hem free, maybe in skirt sometimes a dress, although I wouldn’t. But never in a jacket or coat. Id put a pleat in the hem and another at centre back. Otherwise the lining will make it unwearable. Do let me know if I’ve misunderstood!
I have always made my jacket lining larger than the jacket. I agree with the other comments in this regr. Jackets need to have a pleat in the back for when you reach for something your jacket will allow you to. This article is very confusing. You need to clarify this. Accomplished sewers know what they are talking about.
Um, I’ve been sewing professionally as a costumer for over 40 years. A lining needs to be slightly larger, or identical in size, not smaller, or it will pull the garment into weird shapes. And as was noted, jackets, coats, etc., need an additional pleated ease in the center back so the garment wears properly. Sometimes a bottom hem lining can hang “free”, but in that case it needs to be swing tacked to the garment. Also, in a jacket, it can have a pleat for ease at the hem as well as the center back. This article, I am sorry to say, contains inaccurate information.
I wish this were a le to be “pinned to Pinterest”
good info
Aprender y saber el. Curso
I’m not sure what your comment about lining hanging free inside a garment because it’s only attached to the neckline or the waistband. I’ve been making garments including lined jackets and dresses for most of my life (I’m 75) and never have I left the lining hanging unattached like what you seem to be implying. As for changing the size of the seams, I’ve never done that and with a jacket you need to have a pleat down the back that will allow for ease while wearing it and will essentially make the lining a little larger than the jacket. I think there needs to be come clarification on your part as to what those comments mean because it will only cause a lot of confusion and frustration for people who aren’t used to sewing and whose only experience with it has sometimes been some grouchy home ec teacher anxious to find fault.
Fully agree.
If a lining hangs freely from the neck and armholes in a dress with nothing else holding it it’ll bunch up at the front.A coat or jacket without a gusset at the back would be like wearing a straight jacket. I don’t really get this 1/8th inch bit. The lining needs to match the garment in the right kind of fabric and should move with the garment – not hang loosely!.
I’m making a small child’s puffa jacket, lined with fleece fabric, the linings just so wrong, I don’t know if it’s to small or big it’s bunching up around armholes pulling the hole thing out of shape it’s driving me mad can you advise please
Hi! The fleece lining will also drive the child nuts because it will “grab” their shirt sleeves and pull them up. For extra warmth do the back and front in fleece and the sleeves in a traditional lining fabric. Or do the whole thing in a lining fabric. Fleece can come in different weights or thicknesses, so you could try a lighter fleece, but I’d go with a traditional lining fabric or a mid-weight lining that is smooth so it goes on and off easily. Don’t be frustrated, you’re learning some great lessons in sewing! R
Hi. Your instructions for adding lining to a garment (mine is a pair of knit pants with straight legs — not leggings) is to add 1/8″ to the seam allowance. So for example if the pattern includes a 5/8″ allowance, that would make the lining pattern larger not smaller–i.e. the total seam allowance will be 6/8″. Do you mean to add 1/8″ seam allowance to the pattern SEAM LINE? Then that would make the lining seam ALLOWANCE 4/8″ smaller than the stated pattern seam allowance. Is that what you mean? Will this be the same sizing for an underlining rather than a lining? So when sewing the two pieces together, do I use 5/8″ seam line? Would really appreciate your input. Thank you.
I read this to mean, you cut the lining pieces exactly the same size as the outer shell, and then when you go to sew the lining, instead of 5/8 seam allowance, sew it with 6/8 (3/4″) seam allowance so that the lining is slightly smaller by 1/8 in.
If you’re wanting to attach it round the neck, armholes etc. that won’t work because your lining will be too tight at the seams. Where your lining meets the garment it needs to be the same size as the garment or else you’ll not be able to attach it smoothly.