Shale: FreeSewing's Shale Shorts
Designer Notes
I wanted to make some shorts, and FreeSewing had no such pattern. So I made Shale.
The design is pretty freestyle, I messed around with 3D models and looked at a few YouTube videos for inspiration.
Shale is ideal for summer and pajama shorts, but depending on your fabric choice it could also be a good fit for everyday wear or maybe even a sports short.
Shale doesn’t have a closure, it relies on an elastic inside the waistband to fit your waist.
What You Need
To make Shale, you will need the following:
- 0.5 – 1 meters (0.6 – 1.1 yards) of suitable fabric.
- An elastic band, at least 2–3 cm (or about an inch) wide. A wider band of about 5 cm (or 2 inches) might be preferred.
- Optionally, about 10×50 cm of light fusible interfacing for the front waistband part.
Fabric Options
Shale is a good starter project and will work with almost any fabric you can think of.
Only very thick fabrics like denim, or very sheer and thin fabrics like lace and tulle are for the brave.
Feel free to experiment with different colors. You could use a different color for the waistband, or only for the inside of the front part of the waistband. Adding colorful bias binding to the hem can also give a nice touch.
Use reasonably robust fabric for the casing around the waistband elastic (the Waistband and/or Waistband Back part). During wear and washing, the outer fabric can rub against the elastic. Plus, the fabric will be puckered and wrinkly due to the compression of the elastic, which can lead to faster wear at the folds.
Below are some suggested fabric choices.
Flannel
Flanell is a soft, thicker and warmer woven fabric often used for pajamas and other less formal wear.
It is a great choice and available in many fun patterns and colors.
Broadcloth
Broadcloth (frequently referred to as poplin) is a simple fine weave and is what your typical dress shirt is made of.
It’s typically a lightweight fabric and can be a bit transparent depending on your colour choice.
Muslin
Muslin is a plain woven cotton fabric and usually a bit more inexpensive and less fine than broadcloth/poplin. Some types of muslin look intentionally wrinkly, like cheesecloth.
If you use muslin, make sure it’s not too transparent.
Sweat
You can use both winter and summer sweat to make sweatpants-like shorts. As you would expect, summer sweat is a bit thinner and cooler than winter sweat.
Sweat is a and doesn’t fray, but it can curl up around cuts a bit.
Silk
Some people love silk for sleepwear, but it’s relatively expensive and not as widely available.
I would advise against it unless you know you want it and have some experience with it.
Bamboo
(Viscose), Lyocell (Tencel) and Modal are semisynthetic fabrics made from natural cellulose, which is often sourced from bamboo, eucalyptus or wood.
These fabrics are available in both woven and stretchy styles, they don’t wrinkle much and often feel smooth and slippery like silk, without being as expensive.
They also often feel somewhat cool, and they dry quickly, which makes them a great choice for sleepwear and summerwear.
Linen
Linen is generally a good choice for sleepwear and summerwear, since it’s cool and breathable.
The downside is that it can wrinkle like hell.
If you use linen, prefer setting the elastic only on back option, so that at least the front looks clean.
You may also want to use cotton or rayon or some other less wrinkly material for the casing around the waistband elastic.
Polyester
Polyester and other synthetic fabrics would not be my first choice, as they don’t absorb sweat very well, and cheaper versions often feel a bit like plastic.
However, the pattern will still work well on them, and you may be able to make some nice athletic shorts.
If you’re a beginner, avoid stretchy fabrics like jersey (especially with spandex).
Technically, you can definitely use jersey for this pattern, but the waistband in this pattern is drafted large enough to go over your bum without stretching. Since jersey fabric can stretch, this would make the waistband larger than necessary.
Stretchy fabric is also more challenging to handle, especially if you don’t have a serger/overlock.
Cutting Instructions
Depending on the choices you made in your pattern options, you may not need all parts. If a pattern part is not printed, it means you don’t need it.
- Part 1: Cut 2 front(s) mirrored from your main fabric
- Part 2: Cut 2 back(s) mirrored from your main fabric
- Part 3: Cut 1 waistband (back) from your main fabric
- Part 4: Cut 1 waistband (front) from your main fabric and one from lining fabric.
- Part 5: Cut 2 pocket(s) mirrored from your main fabric and two mirrored from lining fabric
We suggest that you use different lining fabric on the inside as it can be from more affordable fabric or in a contrasting color.
However, to keep it simple, you can also use your main fabric everywhere.
In this case cut two waistband fronts, two left pockets and two right pockets all from the main fabric.
Cutting fronts and backs separately can allow you to use the available fabric more efficiently. It also allows you to add a side split.
Cutting them in one piece is also possible and avoids the seam at the side, which can be nice if you want to avoid sensory issues.
When cutting out two mirrored parts, you can cut them . However, when working with fabric with a pattern, I prefer to cut them individually to finely control the pattern matching.
When you cut the parts individually, remember that they need to be mirror images of each other. So flip either your pattern or your fabric over when cutting the second one.
The pocket lining is used to make the pockets a bit more robust and to hide the seam allowances.