sewing liner onto knitted wool shawl?

I would think this would work well. Pick a nice lining that has washing instructions similar to your wool and prewash/preshrink if applicable.

What I would do is trace your blocked shawl onto a sheet of paper (back side of wrapping paper or brown packing paper would work well, I think) and then add 1/2 inch all the way around it. Take that outer line and use it as a pattern for your lining. Press 1/4 inch in all the way around the lining. Turn and press another 1/4 inch again (basically making a hem here), then pin shawl and lining together *very* well to avoid stretching. Turned-under edge of lining should be against back/inside of shawl. Either machine stitch around the outer edges of lining and shawl (stitch close to edges of both; will hide stitches in edge of shawl and turned-under edge of lining) or hand stitch (do an invisible hemstitch) around.

If you're machine stitching, it might work better if the lining is on the bottom and the shawl on top to avoid the feed dogs catching the shawl; match bobbin thread to lining and top thread to shawl. Be careful not to stretch your shawl as you sew. Watch the presser foot so it doesn't catch in the shawl and cause a snag! If you have trouble with the shawl catching, try using water-soluble interfacing on top of the shawl-lining sandwich; stitch over it, then mist with water and it'll dissolve. The lining would be against the feed dogs, then the shawl, then the interfacing against the presser foot. Pin it together well!

If this were me, I'd pin the layers together well, then handstitch. Two reasons: avoid stretching by feed dogs/sewing/presser foot, and keep stitches invisible. You could do the hemstitching in the outer fold of the lining and only catch back loops of the shawl.

Michelle

Michelle, You're a weath of information! Thanks very much.

As much as I dread handstitching, I think that it may be worth the time if the feed dogs could snag/stretch. I've put too much time in on this project to end up with a damaged final product!

Sara

I would also recommend hand stitching. It will be slower but should look much better. A big problem with machine stitching is that it is a bear to try to pick out if there is stretching. You could even find yourself cutting the yarn. Uffda!

You could also try to use tissue paper to keep the shawl from being pulled. Then, it's not too bad to pull off. Also, I wonder if using a longer stitch - or even a very loose zig-zag stitch would help with stretching... Susan K

Yup, that's my concern exactly...cutting the yarn and having a huge ladder appear.

Michelle

I never put a liner , , excuse the question why is it needed ? mirjam

I would guess she feels its needed to cover up the attaching sewing for the embellishments, perhaps to add warmth, or to prevent stretching. Or maybe she just wants to. :) I wouldn't say it's *needed*, just that it would make a nicer finished project.

Michelle

Thnk you Michelle foir your explantion ,, By the way an embelishment can be sewn on mostly with the yarn one knitted it , or charm opposite charm ,,, mirjam

I hadn't thought of the charm opposite charm approach. Good idea!

Michelle

Ha Michelle this is based on an old Sewing trick ,,, when one sews a button over a tiny seam one wants to hide ... mirjam

Ha! Like when I had to sew some velvet ribbon over a 'booboo' DD2 made in her (newly-made!) Christmas dress. Or the fancy hemming when she cut a bite out of her Easter dress two years ago. :) She's lucky I like to sew, and am good at little tricks!

Michelle

Hahah Michelle ,, are we related ??? the many Adornments i sewed over torn clothes is big... As you could read i love to sew as well ,,,, mirjam

We certainly have a lot in common, I think! Your artwork descriptions always come alive to me, too.

What do you like to sew? Right now my favourites are things my children ask for (dresses for G, age 7, and a flannel hockey quilt for T, age almost 5, and pillows for I, age 10). Same goes for knitting and crochet, for that matter.

Michelle