Lining the Tardis!

Today we're going to line the Tardis bag that we've been working on all week.  If, by some chance, you are not a super-huge Doctor Who fan and have chosen not to make a Tardis bag (gasp! the horror! LOL!!) stick around anyway, because this is how you line any flat-bottomed bag.  I am thrilled with how this turned out, and I know you're going to be too! Let's get started!

Supplies:

Lining fabric - 35" x 12 3/4" (I used white cotton)

Thread to match

Magnetic purse snaps (1 set)

Knit Picker

Yarn to match bag (leftovers!)

Yarn needle

White worsted weight yarn (I used Red Heart Super Saver 100% acrylic in White)

Size F crochet hook

Scissors

Complete Purse-Sized Tardis Bag (without button hole) with Crossbody Strap

Fold fabric in half to make a 17 1/2" x 12 3/4" rectangle. Sew the two long sides closed using a 1/4" seam allowance.  Open bag and flatten bottom corners into triangles.  Measure across the triangles and mark your fabric where is measures 3" across.  Sew across the triangle at your mark.

Repeat for the other side.

Cut the extra tip of the triangle/corner off, leaving 1/4" seam allowance.

Turn the lining right side out.  Turn the completed Tardis Bag (without buttonhole) inside out.

Slide the Tardis bag inside the lining so that the wrong sides are together.  There will be a significant overhang of lining fabric. :D

Tuck the extra lining fabric in between the lining pouch and the outer crocheted bag.  You want to tuck it in so that the lining comes up to 1/8" or so from the top of the bag.  This makes a really nice, neat edge for the lining.

Get out your magnetic snaps.

We only need one set of snaps today, so get the pieces out of the package.

This is the hardest part of the whole thing.  You need to measure where to put the snaps into place and then (gasp!) cut your lining fabric for the snap prongs to go through.  My measurements were 13 3/8" in from the side seams and 1" down from the top edge of the lining.  Your measurements might be slightly different (although they'll be close!), because you really want to make sure that your snaps are centered.

Make 2 tiny snips in the top lining fabric (don't cut through both pieces! We need that folded-over behind/inner lining part to keep the snap tabs from poking through the crocheted outer bag).  Slide the 2 prongs of the snap through your tiny incisions.

Unfold the lining so that you can put the flat metal back on the snap.  Fold the tabs back so that the snap is attached to the fabric and the flat metal backing piece.  Re-fold the lining back into place.

Repeat on the other side.  Pretty cool, huh?

Now get out your leftover yarn scraps from when you crocheted the Tardis Bag.  Separate the yarn into halves.  It's just too thick to use the knit picker with (ahem, I know this from personal experience because I pulled the tip off of my knit picker trying to pull the 4-ply yarn through my double-thickness lining fabric.  Ooops!  So, after I got a replacement knit picker, I used 2-plies of the yarn and it worked perfectly without any snags or pulling or frustration.)

Using the same technique that we used to make the Ruffle-Butt Onesie, crochet the lining into the bag.

Once you get all the way around, you can weave the ends in to the outer crochet bag (so it doesn't show.  Don't try to weave them in to the knit picked edge on the inside.

This is what your bag should look like at this point.

You can turn it right-side-out now.

See, the snaps line up and everything!

I missed the light on the top of my bag, so I made a small light that I sewed to the top edge of the front of the bag.

Tardis Light
R1:Using white yarn and F crochet hook, make 6 sc in a magic loop, pull loop tight, sl st to first sc to close round (6 st)
R2: ch 1, 2 sc in each st around, sl st to first sc to close round (12 st)
R3: ch 1, sc in each st around, sl st to first sc to close round (12 st)
R4: ch 1, (sc next 2 st tog) 6 times, sl st to first sc to close round (6 st)
Fasten off.  Flatten the piece with your fingers.  Use tail end to tack the light together in several spots and then sew it to the top edge of the front of the bag.  Use the double center posts on the front as a guide to center the light.

I hope you have a wonderful weekend, Dynamos!  Now, go watch Doctor Who on your streaming Netflix!

xoxo

Tardis Bag - 3 versions - Part 1
Tardis Bag Straps - also 3 versions! - Part 2