Fabric and Fit for the Chanterelle Pants

Wahoo, you’re ready to make some Chanterelle Pants or shorts! This is going to be fun. These three views are a great advanced beginner project to help build your sewing skills, and a super versatile and fun wardrobe staple! 

Fitting the Chanterelle Pants

Prep time first. If you’ve ever had any fitting advice from me before, you know what I’m going to say… so all together now: making a muslin is recommended to check the fit before you cut into your precious Good Fabric. A muslin (aka a toile, or sample) is also a great opportunity to work through any construction methods that may be new to you. (You can use some not-so-precious fabric for your muslin, like a thrifted sheet, and then wear it for pjs if the fit works out well!)

The pattern is drafted for a height of 5’5” (165cm).
When choosing a size, take your measurements first. Even when you think you know your size, take them at the beginning of every project, and work from the charts.

While you’re looking at the charts, take note in the Finished Measurements, at the waist (fully extended) and at the hip, of the ease differences between views A and B/C. View A has more ease, for a swooshy, dramatic look, while Views B and C have a little less design ease, and B and C have the same fit from waist to hip.

Your waist and hip measurements are important for making your sizing decision. Since these pants pull on, the finished waist, fully extended, needs to be within 1/2″ (1.3 cm) of your body hip (or larger, of course) so that you can put the pants on without hopping and wiggling! (There’s a bit of leeway here, since the tissue that the waistband pulls over is soft, so you don’t need to over-think it, but it’s good to double check this area if you’re blending sizes!) If, when you refer to the size charts with your measurements, you discover that your waist and hip are in two different sizes, let the hip measurement determine your size unless your waist measurement is larger (in actual inches/cm) than your hip measurement. In that case, let the waist measurement determine your size. 

Another factor in a comfortable fit is the crotch depth. The crotch depth is a vertical measurement from waist to crotch level, taken at the side seam. The finished crotch depth is measured vertically from the top of the waistband to the crotch level at the side seam, and should include ½” to ¾” (1.3 to 2 cm) of ease for comfort. The waistband is intended to sit over the navel, with the top of the elastic almost reaching the natural waist. So not “super high”, but fairly high. (Higher than the Arenite pants, but not as high as Cosecha, if that helps!) With this in mind, the finished crotch depth can help you determine if you need to make any adjustments based on your preferred waistband location. The finished crotch should measure approximately approximately ⅜” (1 cm) more than your body crotch depth, to account for the ease and the intended waistband position. You may increase the crotch depth to customize the pattern to your measurements. You may also choose to increase the crotch depth if you want the waistband to sit higher.

One thing that also impacts the relationship between finished crotch and where the waist actually ends up sitting is seat fullness and height – when we take the crotch depth body measurement, we’re seated and smooshing the softer parts of the seat, so if the body seat shape is a little lower and the pants have a soft waist, they might be pulled down (rather than having tightness or drag lines like we’d see on a hard pant). Personal space preferences (how close against your body do you want the pants to be?) are also a consideration, since that “uses up” more or less of the crotch depth for ease.

(If these paragraphs made absolutely no sense at all, it’s okay! Just use your waist and hip measurements to check your size, double check the inseam to make sure the leg length is good, and make your muslin. You’ll be able to decide then whether you want to change the rise.)

Lastly, refer to the inseam on the finished measurements. If you want to lengthen or shorten Views A and B, use the lengthen/shorten line on the pattern, making sure you keep the grainline straight and aligned, so the balance is not impacted by the adjustment. For View C, if you want to lengthen the shorts, we recommend adding length at the hem, following the angle of the side seam, in order to keep the silhouette consistent.

In our photos, Meg is 5’4″ with a 28″ waist and 37″ hips. She wears a size 8, graded to a 10 in the hips, and a size 8 in shorts, (one size up from recommended ease.) Ashley is 5’10” with a 45″ waist and 57″ hips. She wears a size 30. Meredith is 5’4.5″ with a 27″ waist and 35″ hips. She wears a size 4, shorten by 2 inches for View A, and 1 inch for View B (a cropped silhouette.) Cindy is 5’2″ with a 33″ waist and 41″ hips. She wears a size 12 shortened by 2 inches. 

Fabric Choices for the Chanterelle Pants

We recommend a light- to medium-weight woven fabric that has no stretch. Recommended fabrics are opaque, and range in weight from 4.8 oz to 7.9 oz (155 – 268 GSM). 

The drape or hand of the fabric will impact the look of the final garment – softer fabrics will fall more gently, and more stable fabrics will emphasize the leg shaping. Some wonderful choices are chambray, viscose-linen slub, sand washed linen or cotton, ikat, Brussels washer linen, lightweight twill or canvas (like Ventana twill), or Essex cotton-linen blend.

Some fabrics, like Brussels washer linen or some loosely woven blends of natural fibers, have the tendency to “grow” in length as they’re worn. It’s helpful to be aware of your fabric’s characteristics as you’re planning your project! 

Our friends at Ewe Fibers have made some fabric bundles of some lovely fabric choices. You can find them here.

I hope this helps you get started with your Chanterelle Pants or Shorts! Happy sewing!