Sewing a lining into leather bag - help needed

[jakc3]

Hey fellas, 

I'd need some advice on how to sew in a lining/interior into this particular bag I'm currently making. The problem I'm having is that i chose not to sew the bag inside out but I went for visible edges on the bottom pannel. The bag has a long zipper that runs from side to side almost to the bottom (currently only taped on the pieces with double sided tape). The bag doesen't have a side panel but the front piece wraps around the corner of the bottom and meets up in the middle with the other piece.

How should I go about sewing it up together with interior and all? I got a bit stuck as this is after all my first real bag (I've only made a simple turned unlined messenger bag) and I don't want to mess it up.

Should i sew the interior with inner gussets and pockets together like a separate bag, insert it and then sew it along the zipper? Or line the pieces, sew on the bottom panel and then sew in the gussets + inner pocket?

Here are some sketches and pictures of what i'm making:

An exloded wireframe view of how i'm planning to put this piece together

[RockyAussie]

I would make up the lining as a separate piece with stiffeners in the 2 outer walls.If possible glue your zips to the outer edges of your liner first. Make up your outside like a bucket and insert your liner and glue to zip again then stitch around zip and through liner.

[RockyAussie]

This may help,we have been making some of these purse designs today. They are not bag pics but are a little similar in construction.

[jakc3]

On 7/1/2016 at 0:57 AM, RockyAussie said:

I would make up the lining as a separate piece with stiffeners in the 2 outer walls.If possible glue your zips to the outer edges of your liner first. Make up your outside like a bucket and insert your liner and glue to zip again then stitch around zip and through liner.

Thank you for your tips and photos, they have been of great help and sorry for a late reply (I was terribly busy, took me a month and a half to finish the bag).

Here is the finished bag: 

 

Edited July 31, 2016 by jakc3

[RockyAussie]

Looks good jakc3. The handles turned out very well and the double line stitching to attach them worked out very nice as well.I presume it was all stitched by hand? Outer edge zip stitch with machine would be easier and easier to keep out any wobbles in my opinion for whatever that is worth. Hope to see more of your work in the future.

[jakc3]

On 8/1/2016 at 0:53 AM, RockyAussie said:

Looks good jakc3. The handles turned out very well and the double line stitching to attach them worked out very nice as well.I presume it was all stitched by hand? Outer edge zip stitch with machine would be easier and easier to keep out any wobbles in my opinion for whatever that is worth. Hope to see more of your work in the future.

Thank you for the compliments. Yes, the exterior was hand stitched and parts of the interior as well. I will definitively give machine sewing the zipper a shot but i need to get some experience with machine sewing first. This bag's interior was the first thing I've ever sewn on a machine.

[RockyAussie]

Hi again jakc3. What sort of sewing machine are you using?

[jakc3]

12 hours ago, RockyAussie said:

Hi again jakc3. What sort of sewing machine are you using?

I'm using a pfaff 335 sewing machine which I bought quite recenty.

Edited August 6, 2016 by jakc3

[RockyAussie]

Nice looking machine and with the needle positioning system you should be going great in no time at all. It is a shame you have to cut out a large section of that nice table for your bag work to get the clearance. I switch a lot between the 20 and 40 and 60 threads and I keep separate bobbin cases for each to cut out the need to adjust the bobbin spring each change time. Have you got a bell skiver machine yet? Regards Brian

[jakc3]

On 8/7/2016 at 2:16 AM, RockyAussie said:

Nice looking machine and with the needle positioning system you should be going great in no time at all. It is a shame you have to cut out a large section of that nice table for your bag work to get the clearance. I switch a lot between the 20 and 40 and 60 threads and I keep separate bobbin cases for each to cut out the need to adjust the bobbin spring each change time. Have you got a bell skiver machine yet? Regards Brian

Thanks, it's quite a pleasure to sew with it. Yes, the table looks almost too nice to cut hehe. Yes, I also have multiple bobbins that hold different threads.

I will have it in couple of days, I bought a refurbished 50 PUAG Fortuna which I am going to pick up on Thursday in Vienna.

Edited August 8, 2016 by jakc3

[RockyAussie]

Very good choice of skiver. Post us some pics when you get it with the presser feet as well. From what I just looked up it appears to be the same as one I have and it is my favorite.Mine is branded Fortuna SAS though. Here is the link to what I just checked. It would be great if you get a roller foot like shown in this link.http://www.pressdepo.com/machine/en-42061/fortuna-50-pu-ag

[jakc3]

I just finished seting up the machine and it works perfectly. I got 3 new standard metal presser feet with the machine and I ordered the roller one too.

Some pictures:

https://drive.google.com/folderview?id=0B2IzdSTDuaz_dVkyR2VVRUZZb0k

[RockyAussie]

Looks beautiful...I'm jealous. I think we will be seeing some serious products very soon.Let me know if you need to know anything about its use.