How to Make and Sew a Lining into a Field Bag

Milo recently purchased a field bag to carry their laptop and other supplies to classes. Unfortunately, the bag developed a hole along the bottom of the bag within the first week of use!

I decided to fix the hole and add a fabric lining to the bag to help support the contents and keep new holes from developing.  Milo has been using the fixed bag with the lining for about a month now and no new holes have developed.

This tutorial will demonstrate how to fix the hole and an easy way to make a lining for the bag.  This lining tutorial can be used for many types of bags, such as totes, messengers, and field bags.

For another bag lining tutorial, visit our How to Line a Crochet Bag tutorial.

We have many mending tutorials for holes in pants, lengthening or hemming pants, replacing elastic, and fixing sheets.  Click the link to visit our page with these tutorials.

You can learn more about fixing a hole in a field bag and adding a fabric lining by watching our YouTube video through the link below or by reading on.

WHAT YOU NEED to make a bag lining

• Fusible Interfacing
• Cotton Fabric for Lining
• Tape measure or ruler
• Marking Chalk or pencil
• Sewing machine & basic sewing supplies

Detailed INSTRUCTIONS for mending and lining a field bag

STEP 1: Examine Tear or hole

Fortunately, the field bag developed a hole along the bottom seam. Within a few days of use, the seam came out of the binding around the bag's edge, which indicates that this bag is not well made.

It appears that the canvas fabric pulled out of the binding, and I suspect that it wasn't sewn properly into the binding. Or maybe a corner of the laptop was putting extra pressure in that one spot, causing the fabric to pull out of the binding and develop a hole.

It won't be very hard to fix this bag, but I am concerned that other holes like this will develop. So, after fixing the hole, I decided to add a lining to this field bag to help prevent more holes.

Step 2: Fix the Hole

The fabric along the hole has pulled out of the binding.  The binding was probably not sewn on with a large enough seam allowance, and canvas fabric was pulled out.  Canvas fabric does tend to fray easily.

Use a seam ripper to remove the stitching in the binding carefully.  This will open the binding so it can be sewn back in place.

I will add fusible interfacing inside the bag to support the binding in this area so it won't pull out again. I cut a piece of interfacing about an inch wide and as long as the opening.

Fold the interfacing in half with the fusible side facing out.

Pin the interfacing along the opening with the folded edge next to the raw edges of the opening.

Line up the fabric on the other side of the hole, then iron the fusible interfacing.  This will hold the layers together and in place while you set the binding.

Wrap the binding around the edge of the fabric and pin it in place.

Thread a sewing machine with thread matching the bag and sew a straight stitch along the edge of the binding.  Remember to backtack at the beginning and end of the seam. This fixes the hole in the bag.  Next, add a lining.

Step 3: Add a fabric lining to the bag

Why am I adding a lining to this bag?  Since the bag developed a hole within a week of being used, I am afraid that the weight of the items in the bag will cause more holes to develop along the seams.  Adding a lining will help support the weight of the items in the bag and take pressure off the seams.  This will also add more durability to the bag.

Since this is Milo's college bag, they selected space-themed fabric for the lining.

Step 4: Measure the Bag and cut the lining fabrics

To add a lining to the interior of the bag, measure the body of the bag to get its width and height.  Cut two lining pieces from the fabric to the size measured.

Next, measure the gusset.  The gusset or side panel is the fabric that creates the depth in the bag. Measure the depth of the bag and the length around the bag.  The length will be from the top, around the bottom, and back up to the top again. 

Cut a gusset from the lining fabric to the measurements.  If the length around the bag is over 42", you will need to cut two pieces of fabric. Sew the two pieces together end to end to create a side and bottom panel the length needed.

Step 5: Round the corners

The bag's bottom corners are rounded. Layer the front and back fabric pieces on one another with the wrong sides facing out. 

Place the bag on top of the fabric, aligning the bottom and side edges of the bag with the fabric.  Trace a line around the bottom corner of the bag.

Cut along the curved line through both layers of fabric.

Step 6: make the bag lining

Sew the gusset piece to the front and back pieces one at a time.  Pin the gusset along one long side of the front piece, around the bottom, and then up the other side. Pin with the right sides of the fabric facing each other.

Sew with a straight stitch and 1/4" seam allowance around the three sides of the front piece.

Sew the other side of the gusset to the back piece similarly.

This will give you a bag lining the same size as your original bag. Optionally, the unfinished edge of the lining can be serged or zig-zag.

Fold down the top raw edge by 1/4" and iron it flat. This prepares the top hem of the lining for sewing into the bag.

Step 7: Sew the lining into the bag

Since the field bag has a flap and an interior pocket, the lining will be placed inside the bag and then stitched around the top of the bag.

Slide the finished bag lining into the field bag and line up the top of the lining with the top edges of the bag. I placed the lining just under the binding. Line up the side seams of the lining to the sides of the bag.

Pin around, keeping the pocket and the flap out of the way.

Thread the sewing machine with thread matching the bag's outer fabric since the thread will show on the exterior of the bag. Using a top stitch, sew the lining to the bag around the top edge.  Keep the flap, pocket, and strap hardware out of the way as you stitch.

The lining is now stitched into the bag and ready for use!

Step 8: Add a decorative lining to the back of the bag flap

I decided to add a decorative lining to the inside of the bag flap. I thought this would add a decorative element to the bag.

As before, measure the width and height of the flap. I cut a piece of fabric to the flap size and rounded the corners as before.

Then, I folded the raw edge under 1/4" all around and ironed it flat.

The flap has two holes for the bag closure toggles.  I sewed two buttonholes the size of the closures.

Lay the prepared fabric onto the inside of the bag flap and place pins to hold it. Stitch around the outside edge of the lining to attach it to the flap. Keep in mind that the stitching line will show on the outside of the bag.

Below is a close-up of the stitching around the edge of the flap. To make placing the toggle clasp through the buttonholes easier, I stretched them open and stitched them around the edge of the metal clasp.

Instead of the buttonhole, you could snip a hole after stitching the lining to the bag.  Fold the fabric under the lining around the metal clasp to bring it out of the way.  Then, stitch it down around the clasp.

The bag toggle clasps work with the lining.

Below is a look at the inside of the bag with the lining added.

If you need a tutorial on sewing a lining into a tote bag, visit WikiHow for their tutorial.

Some other mending tutorials you may be interested in are:

• How to Hand Sew a Button
• How to Shorten Dress Pants
• How to Patch a Hole in Jeans or Pants