"Wigan" hem

This is one form of interfaced hem I use sometimes. In general, I interface hems to stop them from getting that ripply bedraggled look over time, or having a very sharp crease along the edge that may fade or even fray with wear. Of course, interfacing can change the body and look of the hem, which you may or may not want; the exact result depends on what you use.

"Fusible wigan" is a bias-cut woven fusible interfacing, in this case a bit over 3" wide. I'm told that it's nothing like real wigan, and that you'll be very disappointed if the latter's what you're looking for. In my case, ignorance is bliss. I most likely got this from Greenberg & Hammer years ago. That source is gone, but you might find it elsewhere in the New York area. You can make your own ersatz-ersatz wigan by cutting bias strips of woven fusible interfacing (which is similar to cotton batiste, with the fusing agent detectable as little rough dots).

The 3"+ width is about right for a hem that's around 2" deep; the wigan will extend a bit above the hem, which I find is helpful for preventing any shadow of the cut edge from showing through if it isn't pressed carefully later on. However, if your piece is unlined and the inside will be seen, you will want a narrower width in relation to your hem depth, so it won't show.

This is how I cut and fuse it to a slightly or moderately flared hem.

First I line up my wigan strip about 1/2-5/8" from the cut lower edge.

I apply it in sections, interrupting it at each seam so that it will sit under the opened seam allowances. (This isn't shown above, but you can see it in the last picture.) The one cut end of the wigan should line up under the seam allowance that is on the right of the section/panel you are currently working on, sidling right up to the stitching without going so far as to curl. If that seam has a lot of flare in it, you might have to trim off a little wedge from the wigan to get it to match the shape of the seam.

In the above picture I haven't got the fabric absolutely flat, either. It should really be completely flat by the time you're about to fuse anything, most especially the upper parts of the wigan. Otherwise the drape is liable to become distorted or worse, you might even get folds on the outer fabric. Ideally you should have a nice big flat surface to rest the entire piece on, so there won't be any weight hanging off. If you have to roll up parts of it to fit on the ironing board, do it.

The wigan should be an even distance from the cut edge all around, and flat at the lower edge (but not necessarily the upper, if the piece is at all flared). I interrupt it at seams, by the way; more on that later. Once it's laid out smoothly, and your fabric in the entire hem area is perfectly flat (unlike mine at that upper area), tack-fuse it lightly just along the lower edge. Stop before you get to any seams.

Now cut the wigan along the well of the seam, cutting it just a slight bit scant.

Stick the cut end back under the seam allowance. Brush away any loose wigan lint, since it may have fusing that could crud up your iron. Now you're ready for the final fusing of this section.

Press the wigan on in stages. I find it easiest to shrink out fullness by holding the iron perpendicular to the hem and just lightly brushing upward, before letting the iron rest on the wigan to really fuse it. If your piece is very flared, you may have to cut and lap the wigan to get enough of the extra fullness out.

That's pretty much it. You can run a line of stitching just above the lower edge of the wigan, and again just below the hem foldline, to really hold it on if you want. Then press up your hem and sew it as desired, by hand or machine. But one more thing....

There may be joins in the wigan, like this. I don't like them, because the fusing side comes out to the right side on those seam allowances. That'll get on your iron, fuse to your lining fabric, or cause who knows what other trouble. If you cut your own, don't seam it like this.

Here's how I deal with it: I chop off the seam.

Then place the one side as usual....

... lap the other over it, and lightly tack-fuse to hold everything together while you trim along the seamline to the left.

Put the end under the seam allowance and proceed as before.

You can sew the lapped-together ends of the wigan if you want, before fusing it. That might be a particularly good idea if the splice is farther from a seam, if it won't be covered by lining, if it will be laundered, or if the area will receive a lot of stress. I don't always find it necessary otherwise.