Liner lift.

I was recently approached by a friend, Molly, with a very fun project.  She wanted me to take a look at a bag that belonged to her mother.  The army green shoulder bag was purchased at the Royal Shakespeare Company during a family trip to London.  Unfortunately, after lots of loyal use of the bag, time had taken its toll.  The lining was frayed and coming away from the outer shell.  In addition, despite having been fixed repeatedly with tape, the magnetic closure was pulling away from the lining.

  

There was discussion about whether or not I should take a pattern from the orignal bag and make a completely new one.  In the end, we decided that I would simply replace the lining because the bag itself is so special!  Theater is a huge part of Molly's family.  Both she and her mother are involved (to put it lightly) in the Spotlight Players, a fantastic community theater in Beech Grove.  (Go see a show!)

I began by cutting out the lining and removing one end of the strap.  Molly had shared that her mother was looking for a little more length on the strap.  At the fabric store, I found a fabric that was fairly close to the color of the original bag.  For the lining, I chose a rich olive green that was slightly darker than the existing one.

This is when inspiration struck!  I thought that adding a Shakespearean quote to the lining might be a way to make this project even more special.  I emailed Molly with the idea and she sent me a few lines she wanted included:

And this our life, exempt from public haunt,

Finds toungues in trees, books in the running brooks,

Sermons in stones, and good in everything.

As You Like It  II.i

And so, the embroidery began.....

Once I'd finished the embroidery, the rest of the project was a breeze!  After adding new reinforced magnetic closures to the lining, I inserted it into the outer shell and stitched it in.  The finished product looks great!  It's wonderful how a simple change can add new life to something loved.

Thanks for the opportunity Molly!  I really hope your mom likes it.