How to fix a purse lining

January 7, 2018 5:11 PM

The lining of my purse has ripped, and is starting to make the purse non-functional. Every time I try to get anything out of or put anything into the purse, it gets worse, it has rendered the zippered pocket useless, and is generally annoying. Removing the lining entirely doesn't seem feasible; the interior of the purse behind the lining in this particular bag would make a very bad interior. This seems like a common thing that happens to all of my purses, and I can't figure out a good way to fix these flimsy fabrics in a way that will stay fixed.

My bags are all Target quality, often bought secondhand, and I'm not interested in upgrading to more expensive bags at this point, but would like to keep what I have in better repair. I'm not carrying anything weird or sharp in my bags - I think this is just a symptom of them being cheap bags. I don't think it's worth paying someone to fix, but I do like this bag so I'd like to try to fix it myself.

I know how to sew straight lines and follow a pattern, but can't figure out how to address this kind of situation - making a repair on a really fine, likely-to-tear fabric, in a place that can't go through the sewing machine. I have tried both heat fused interfacing and fabric glue (on other projects) and neither worked long term. Photos of the current project here and here.

Is anyone else dealing with this? Do you have any resources or suggestions for fixing these problems?

posted by peanut_mcgillicuty to Clothing, Beauty, & Fashion (5 answers total)

Having worn through a few Target bags myself, I don't think it's worth attempting to repair the existing lining fabric -- it's cheap as hell and it'll just rip again. Your best bet is to replace the current lining with a new lining made of ripstop nylon, which is cheap and durable. You'll need to cut out the existing lining, leaving a little flap of it at the top to sew the new lining in, and preserving it as best you can so you can examine and measure it. Basically, it will be an inside out version of the bag exterior, sewn in along the existing seams. It might take some careful measuring and a couple of attempts, but I bet you can replicate it in your ripstop nylon fabric. When you're ready to attach it to the bag again, you'll just tack it in all along the edges. There may be some visible stitches on the inside but you can generally minimize visible stitching on the exterior if you're careful (here's a tutorial that shows one way to do that). Here's one tutorial on the whole process of replacing a bag lining; here's another; I'm sure you can find more. It's totally worth a shot and I believe you can do it with the level of skill you described. The great thing about this repair is that, even if it ends up looking a little janky, no one will see the inside of your bag but you!
posted by ourobouros at 5:34 PM on January 7, 2018 [1 favorite]

You could do a patch. They sell iron-on patches at JoAnn, or you could sew one on by hand. The trick is going to be 1) not melting the cheap fabric lining and 2) covering all of the area where the fabric is shredding. Something like this you could trim down to size.
posted by Medieval Maven at 5:36 PM on January 7, 2018

Following ourobouros' instructions, I'd overcast the new lining to the edge of zipper tape which is sturdier than the lining.

A quick option would be to find a zip cosmetic bag or tote bag insert and just use that inside the bag.
posted by TWinbrook8 at 6:14 PM on January 7, 2018

My guess is that the seams are done too close to the edge of the fabric and/or poorly finished. Something thin like this is prone to fraying so they will eventually unravel from any sort of stress (just the weight of the contents of the bag could do it, especially if the lining doesn't fit quite right). If you wind up getting another bag like this, I wonder if using some kind of anti-fray spray might help it last longer.
posted by gennessee at 8:11 PM on January 7, 2018

Response by poster: I had only thought of repairing, never replacing! I will be looking for ripstop nylon, thanks for the suggestions!
posted by peanut_mcgillicuty at 7:01 PM on January 14, 2018