Hi everyone. I would very much appreciate your opinions on the following:
When lining a coat, do you 'bag' the lining (e.g. http://www.threadsmagazine.com/item/4366/bag-your-jacket-lining/page/all), or attach it to coat pieces during the process of construction (as described in Cabrera)?
I understand that the bagging method is favoured by RTW manufacturers. Is it disparaged by tailors? Is there any reason not to insert coat lining in this way? I'm currently lining a coat using Cabrera's method, but it's very time consuming and requires a huge amount of hand sewing. I'm planning to try the bag method in my next coat.
How do you all feel about this?
I don't have much experience with modern jackets, but I will offer some thoughts.
A lot of people don't realize it, but the lining of a coat has to be slightly larger than the shell in order to avoid pulling on it and causing wrinkles. If you attach this larger lining as a bag and leave insufficient facing at the bottom edge of the coat, you run the risk of the bag hanging down and being visible when the coat is worn. This is a very unsightly defect.
Also, if the lining bag is not attached to the internal structure of the coat, it can stick to the wearer's shirt and move independently from the shell. This is another way to get wrinkles to show, and can even pull the lining out of the sleeves when you take the coat off. I've had this happen with cheap RTW casual jackets and a trench coat with a detachable lining.
I have bagged jacket linings with good results. But these were waist-length military uniform jackets for historical reenactment purposes, with hem facing that would keep the bottom edge of the lining from showing in wear. I secured the lining to the shell at the scyes, and set the sleeve linings by hand. This is not a secure as sewing all seams together but was sufficient.
I have tried bagging vests, but actually prefer to make the shell and lining as separate layers with shoulders joined, sew them together at bottom, scyes, and front edges; then sew the side seams once the rest is turned and pressed. The reason is that fully bagging a vest requires all the corners to be matched precisely. The setup is so tedious that I found I wasn't saving any time.
Cabrera's method is indeed time-consuming, but if you'll give it a try I think you'll find it rewards you with a superior quality product. You can control exactly how the lining pieces lie with the shell and build a nice shape into the coat. The lining will move with the coat, and preserve this shape better in wear.