Miss Celie

Can You Help Me Find Wigan?

Thank you for all the comments on my rain jacket! I wore it out a few weekends ago and my friend Liz thought it was the most non-homesewn project she’s seen from me. That’s high praise to me!

I’m mid muslin on my winter coat project, Issey Mikyake’s Vogue 1320. Well, by mid muslin I mean I made a size 12/14 two weeks ago and need to make a size 14/16 this weekend. Anywho, I’m gathering all my supplies and the one thing I can’t seem to find is the wigan I used in my last winter coat four years ago.

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This was purchased from G Street fabric seven years ago. And, when I called them — they said they no longer carried it.  I don’t want thin, I don’t want fusible. I want something super stiff — almost like horsehair that is 1.25 inches wide. Fusible is what I got when I blindly ordered wigan a few years ago from Sew True.

Have you seen it? I’ve gotten samples from B. Black and Sons and called Steinlauf and Stoller (that was a waste of long distance) and neither are right.

Finding ‘real’ wigan is something Kathleen Fasanella has discussed.  

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I use wigan to sew hems on my coat. And, I LOVED this stuff, If I can’t find it, I guess I’ll be trying to make some. Which apparently just means cutting strips if goat or horse hair interfacing.

Thanks!

72 comments

    • I had called Wawak early on. But, they wouldn’t send a sample since it’s sold on the roll. I think when I order thread or other supplies I might get a whole roll and see.

  2. I don’t know where you can find your Wigan but I understand your angst. I can’t find necktie interfacing any more. Though I understand the commerce behind it, I wish they would stop discontinuing stuff!!!

  3. sigh…I was going to ask if you’d already tried Guss Woolens but apparently they went out of business just over a year ago. Maybe ask C over at “Diary of a Sewing Fanatic”? She’s in the garment district in NYC every week or so, she might know someone that has it? Best of luck to you-I would find it tedious to cut the horsehair into strips and they wouldn’t have that clean edge the the rolls do, I do hope you find a source.

  4. Another source for wigan–http://www.thesewingplace.com/Wigan-Interfacing-p/ni-t94.htm

    I wish I had a good source for necktie interfacing as well~

    • I wish neck tie interfacing was $15 a yard 😦 I might try a Sewing Place. The photo looks closer to what I’m looking for. And, they have neck tie interfacing. Maybe I’m overthinking what I’m looking for.

      On Wed, Nov 12, 2014 at 9:55 AM, Miss Celie's Pants wrote:

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    • Yes, they were lovely and sent me a sample. But, it was really wide (60 inches according to the tag) and not what I was looking for.

      On Wed, Nov 12, 2014 at 9:56 AM, Miss Celie's Pants wrote:

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      • Don’t know if you have tried voguefabrics.com, sewtrue.com, thesewingplace.com? They carry 3″ wide I believe. Good luck!

  7. Peggy Sagers at Silhouette patterns has tie interfacing she sells for easing sleeve heads. Just checked her website and it’s still there. May not be what you want, but take a look.

  8. Did you check with Peggy Sagers of Silhouette Patterns? She used to sell the necktie interfacing, but she seems to be very knowledgeable in sewing supplies and might be able to help you. Good luck finding it and let us know when you do!

  9. Wait, I thought Stadham carried it. I was planning to go get some from them when I get off my lazy butt since I’m cutting my coat pattern this week.

      • Oooh. Please let me know. I’m weeks away from needing it. But, like to have everything sorted out.

        On Wed, Nov 12, 2014 at 10:42 AM, Miss Celie's Pants wrote:

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  10. I got mine at the class I attended with Claire Shaeffer. It is exactly what you are looking for. I made sure I stocked up. You may want to contact her either through Facebook or her site SewFari,com. Please give her my regards if you do. Happy Hunting.

    • I got my sample back from Banasch’s today and it is *exactly* what I remember getting from G Street. Thank you so much for the suggestion. I’d never even heard of that store before!!

      On Wed, Nov 12, 2014 at 10:56 AM, Miss Celie's Pants wrote:

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    • This is what I got a year or so ago and it’s not the same. Theirs was more like a knit interfacing. I even found the email I sent after asking if I got the right thing. At the time, I thought what I had was ‘real’ wigan and this was an impostor. I’m gathering now that wigan is a lot of things to a lot of people.

  15. Last year I called a place called Lichtenstein on Delancey Street in Manhattan and they had some. This is the info I have:

    Lichtenstein & Co
    95 Delancey St Frnt 3
    New York, NY 10002
    (212) 226-5921

    I called them after trying Steinlauf and Stoller, which did not carry it.

    You can cut bias strips of Hymo, but should try to get the real thing.

    • Thank you! I’ve never heard of them. They are sending me a sample this week.

      On Wed, Nov 12, 2014 at 11:14 AM, Miss Celie's Pants wrote:

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      • You’re very welcome. 🙂 I’d never heard of them either. I got the recommendation from Beckenstein Men’s Fabric Czar, which is the nicest menswear fabric store I know of in the NYC garment district. http://www.fabricczar.com

        • Their sample came in yesterday. It’s softer than what I got from the store in Ohio. But, definitely wigan and better than what I got from Sew True. It would be good for lighter weight blazers (vs the heavy wool coat I’m planning) I’m waiting on my cuts from Claire Schaffer and I’ll do a round up post I think.

          Thanks again!

          On Fri, Nov 14, 2014 at 2:46 PM, Miss Celie's Pants wrote:

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  16. I am making the same coat! I didn’t really know what to use for the various interfacings, so I decided to block fuse my coating and then use silk organza as addition the interfacing. The hem interfacings are going to be bias cut silk organza. I hope it works, and I hope that if you find real wigan you will share your source. 🙂

    • Mine is also block fused and is this crazy plaid https://missceliespants.files.wordpress.com/2010/11/imgp6011.jpg. I’ve been debating additional interfacing and think I’m going to use this *PRO-TAILOR Classic Sew-in HAIR Cloth/ and her medium weight interfacing too. It feels a little loosey goosey to me. But, I haven’t tailored with something block fused before. I’m glad someone else is making this. I checked PatternReview and saw some reviews there.*

      On Wed, Nov 12, 2014 at 11:40 AM, Miss Celie's Pants wrote:

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  17. I used to have the “real” non fusible wigan as well, but haven’t been able to find a replacement. Thank you for posting this!

  18. I just went to the SEW TRUE site and searched for wigan. They have sew in wigan in both 2″ and 3″ widths, as well as a variety of fusibles. If you call them, they may be able to tell you about the weights. Good luck.

    • Thanks for checking! Sew True is where I ordered from a year or so ago and it was really more like fusible interfacing.Not the same as what I had 😦

      On Wed, Nov 12, 2014 at 1:18 PM, Miss Celie's Pants wrote:

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  19. HI Renee,

    I was just wondering if you can use that drapery stiffener that they use in curtains and drapes at the top edge?

    • Oh… that’s actually a really good suggestion. I hadn’t thought of that. Just in the home dec area? I’m assuming the wigan is bias so it has a little give. I’ll have to stop by the fabric store and have a look at this. Thanks, Sandra!

      On Wed, Nov 12, 2014 at 1:36 PM, Miss Celie's Pants wrote:

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  20. Renee, Vogue Fabrics carries 3 inch wigan by the yard and by the bolt. The copy says white only but the drop-down box lists black as well. Per the website, this product is recommended by Sandra Betzina.
    https://www.voguefabricsstore.com/Interfacing-Wigan-Bias-Tailoring-Interfacing.html
    My only other suggestion would be to run by a fine tailor shop on the Baltimore area and show them what you are looking for- and ask for a source. Hope you find exactly what you want!

  21. i’m going to cincinnati for thanksgiving and that shop looks close to my in-laws’ house. i’d love to have a reason to go there if you need me to!!

  22. I hope you will post some photos of the samples when you get them. I’ve never made a coat and so I’m totally clueless about this stuff.

  26. I purchased an entire roll from SewTrue, it is a suggested vendor from a Craftsy class. I had no idea this is not real thing, am I now stuck with junk? It is the problem I have with those classes, they give you names of products we may never have used before, tell you where to buy it and then find you have spent a small fortune on fakes or not quite right material. This same situation came about with the horse hair/goat interfacing. So many places sell what they call the same thing but all different.

    • I’m with you. I was so confused when my wigan from Sew True came, because it’s not what I’d used before. And, was like $30 or so. Wigan has come to mean something generic. I honestly would think what I used the first time was the wrong thing if I hadn’t seen Kathleen Fasanella’s post. Also, say the wigan I got from Black and Sons is thinner, yes. But, would work for a softly tailored garment. But, my coat is very heavy weight fabric that is block fused. So, it needs a substantial hem (IMHO). I am also totally willing to admit I’m being crazy anal about this. But, I like to stick with things that work well.

      I’ll also say the wigan from Sew True was very different than the wigan from B. Black and Son and A Fabric Place (local to me).

      So. Yeah. Seeing is believing. I think one way to tell ‘real’ wigan is going to be feeling and seeing if it feels like what two layers of horsehair interfacing would feel like.

      I just ordered a yard of sew in horse hair interfacing just in case I have to make like a quilter and cut bias strips.

      On Thu, Nov 13, 2014 at 9:19 AM, Miss Celie's Pants wrote:

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  28. I just wanted to let you know that I discovered your blog today and I quite enjoy it. Your smile makes ME smile!

  29. How nice that so many kind people have gone to such lengths in the Search for Real Wigan. I merely rejoice that I live in a climate in which I have never needed such a heavy coat. The most I’ve had to do was use up some odd bits of plaid cotton flannel to underline a suit jacket. Regular old sew-in non-woven interfacing was more than enough for that little coat.

  31. I’ve never seen or heard of Wigan before this blog – but it looks a lot like crinoline cut on the bias…. I wonder if you could use that instead…….

    • Wigan is softer. Crinoline cut on the bias might have edges that poke through the fabric.

  33. Renee, did you order it yet? I have a roll left from when I hosted The Great Coat Sewalong and ordered supplies to kit up for participants. I’d be happy to send you a couple of yards. Email me or call me if you still need it.

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