Lining a bag - sewing for dummies!

I do have a sewing machine but I rarely use it. Most of the sewing I do is darning tears, re-sewing split seams, re-attaching buttons, etc.

But I have this crochet bag - worked from the pattern I have for sale in my Etsy shop.

I love the bag - the weight, size, colours, etc, but I don't use it. It flops about quite a lot and I always intended to line it. Well finally I got round to it! 

I had chosen some gorgeous patchwork cotton to use months ago. I had matching thread, so here's how I did it.

First I made a couple of very rough paper templates from a sheet of paper from the recycling. 

One template for the front/back, and one for the side/base. 

I used this to cut my fabric.

I pinned, tacked, then seamed the sides to the base. 

Then pinned, tacked & seamed the front to the sides & base, and repeated for the back. 

The corners were tricky, and are not the neatest things in the world, but they're never going to be seen, so I figure there are worse things in life. :)

I put the liner inside the bag so I knew how far down to pin the top hem. 

I sewed around the top, then hand-sewed the lining into the bag. 


Done - easily, since I could manage it! 

Hopefully I'll get to use the bag now.