Linings

Jack,

As for me, the idea is completely innovative (of course, there are lots of things I've never heard of!).

Using a shirt already made, if it did happen to fit neatly inside the jacket, would save a little time, yes. The downside is that you'd be minus the shirt as such.

I wouldn't intentionally make a shirt to use as a lining, though. Linings are normally very simple in construction, and a lining cut specifically for a jacket is certain to fit, thus easier to sew in.

You have a fascinating web page. Love the story about Rachel!

Doreen in Alabama

Dear Jack,

If you ever have the chance to take a patternmaking class for menswear, you'll see why your shirt worked so well. A shirt block and a pants block are all that are needed to do a complete wardrobe for a man. Thus, a jacket would be developed from the basic shirt draft, minus the yoke and cuffs. (In fact, a basic shirt draft does not have a yoke and cuffs; they are developed after fitting the model.)

Teri

Shirts and jackets are usually very different shapes, as they are for different purposes. The lining of a garment needs to follow and work with the shape of the thing it lines, rather than that of a different garment.

Very often you will find linings are cut from the same pattern pieces as the outer fabric, or are very close (they may be slightly different to allow for internal and external pocket placings, being fitted withing shoulder pads, or because they have to be fitted to facings of the outer fashion fabric.

Using a shirt to line a shirt shaped jacket might work, but I'd be more inclined to skim a pattern from the jacket to use for the lining, so it was fitted to the garment it was to line.

Taunton Press publish a book called Easy Guide to Sewing Linings, by Connie Long, which is excellent. It may be of use to you.

Very interesting idea. But it sounds more time consuming & complicated than making a lining from the coat pattern? But I'm intrigued...do let us know how it turns out!

-Irene

I am being asked to make a throw (kind of like a lap robe I think) by a lady. She has a lynx (REAL fur) coat that her mother owned. I have not seen the coat yet. She is bringing it over today, so I don't know what it looks like. However, I know I have to make sure the fur is all right. No bugs, etc., but my main concern is I don't want the lining to be floppy in the middle, but whether I should try to tack it, I'm not certain.

And how would I do that if I tried that on a fur? That's another question. Also, how much to charge. I've never done this before.

Any ideas or suggestions would be wonderfu. Just saw the note on linings and decided to jump in. Thanks in advance.

Betsy

Also reply to .. snipped-for-privacy@yahooSPAM.com , but take the SPAM out. Have spam trouble with az931. Thanks again.

Live near a smallish city, a bit over 100,000 and growing, but doubt if she has a lot of money. Some people here do, however.

-- Elizabeth M. Phillips

I do the linings the same as for the fur coats, usually bag and turn, however I do tack them through the hide and tie off burying the ends in the fur. Fur is very heavy and the lining tends to bag out. I use casha, a soft type of coat lining to do fur throws. Before you start check the coat through for rot, dried out skins and bugs. Make sure it will not tear easily and use a cotton wrapped nylon to sew the lining to the skins. Linda McPhee has some very nice lining for fur.