Wigan Out

 My daughter emailed me and said that I should do a post on wigan.  I had given her some wigan one time when she was hanging out in my sewing studio and she was unsure how to use it, so here is everything that you ever wanted to know about wigan.
 First of all you might ask what the heck is wigan?  (wi-gən) Wigan is precut sew-in or iron-on sleeve interfacing. It comes in widths from 2" to 3". Most wigan is made from a woven fabric cut on the bias. It is a wonderful kind of interfacing for sleeve hems in tailored jackets. If you have cut interfacing on the bias for a sleeve hem, you will be really happy if you can just reach for your wigan.
Here are some photos that demonstrate how wigan is applied. I will demonstrate on a two piece jacket sleeve using iron-on wigan.

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Two piece jacket sleeve pattern

Here are the pattern pieces for a two piece sleeve.

The sleeve is cut and the wigan is pressed on to the wrong side of the fabric so that it covers the hem line. It is easiest to do this prior to sewing up the sleeve seams.

Wigan pressed on the wrong side of the fabric at sleeve hem

 Using this method means that when you are ready to hem the sleeves they are perfectly prepared for the hem!

Wigan can also be used in the hems of coats, and jackets. As with all interfacing be sure to test a sample on a scrap of your fabric to make sure that it is the right weight and produces the amount of support that is right for your fabric.
                                                            
Wigan comes in basic colors...grey, black, white and ivory. In my studio I have a roll each of white and black. I have had these rolls for quite some time as they are 100 yards! I share them with my students, and my daughter!
 You can find wigan at Wawak!  Wawak is a company that merged with Atlanta Thread and Supply, and Cleaners Supply. Their name is not melodious, but they have a huge selection of sewing supplies. They have wonderful sales, and fast service. http://www.wawak.com/
Here is the link to the wigan.
http://www.wawak.com/products/search.cfm?KEYS=wigan&x=6&y=8
Be sure to request a catalog!

 I see that Wawak now has tricot wigan. This is fantastic because tricot is the perfect interfacing for soft fabrics or lightweight fabrics. I will be ordering a roll of that, and it is ONLY 50 yards!