Madrone Pants: Fabric Inspiration

You may have noticed that the Madrone Pants have a lot of seams. When choosing fabric for the Madrone you’ll want to take these seams into account. You need a fabric stable enough to hold the barrel shape, and soft enough to gather with elastic and a drawstring. Fortunately there are many great options that fit the bill!

We recommend a medium-weight woven fabric that has no stretch. 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 sandwashed linen or cotton, light canvas, light twill (like Ventana twill), or Essex cotton-linen blend.

Recommended fabrics are opaque, and range in weight from 4.8 oz to 7.9 oz. Our friends at EWE Fine Fibers have put together a collection of their favorites for Madrone. You can find notions there as well.

Fabrics We Love 

For a readily available option that comes in a huge amount of colors, you can’t go wrong with Essex Linen. This 50/50 linen/cotton blend is easy to sew, holds the seams well, and makes for a soft but stable waistband. Similar 50/50 blends would work as well. A little cotton is always a good thing when it comes to the Madrone Pants. 

100% linen is also a good choice, but keep an eye on the weight (aim for 5 oz or so), and make sure it is a fairly tight weave. Too loose and you could lose the shape of the pants or find they stretch out a bit over time. 

Cotton canvas, like these fun printed examples from Ruby Star Society are a great choice too. They aren’t too heavy but give some nice weight to Madrone and make them all season appropriate. Ashley’s pair is made from a mid weight black canvas, and Meg’s use upcycled denim.

Light weight twill such as linen twill and Ventana Twill and light weight denims will also work, though are slightly more advanced fabrics, as twill can easily stretch when sewn. 

For a denim look with an easier to use fabric we recommend Chambray. The cotton content and weave make it perfect for Madrone and will create a pair of pants that you can slip into any outfit in place of jeans. 

Drawstring 

When it comes to the drawstring for Madrone you have a lot of options. For the ultimate in matching you can cover your drawstring in your fabric. If you don’t want to go to that trouble you can find a lovely selection of colors from Noodlehead. I chose to match my drawstring, as close as possible, to the colors of my pants, but a coordinating color can also be a fun choice, especially if you use a print or decide to color block your Madrone Pants.

In Conclusion

Have fun with your fabric! Madrone is a fun pattern that leans into the whimsy of life. Embrace that! Go bright! Try a print! Stick to a favorite neutral! There are no right answers. The possibilities are wide open.