Up third in my Henley Reviews is the Patterns For Pirates Women's Henley. Judy, over at P4P was nice enough to give me this pattern for review. All opinions remain my own. Click to see my reviews for the WWD Hepburn Henley and KBSD On Point Penley

The P4P Henley is a semi fitted henley with multiple options.

Neckline:
-Crew neck
-Henley
-Henley with hood
Sleeves:
Short
3/4
3/4 with button tab
Long hemmed
Long with thumb hole
Hem:
T-shirt
Banded T-shirt
Tunic
Banded Tunic

I sewed up the Henley with Hood, Long sleeve hemmed and tunic hemmed. I have to admit I own a LOT of P4P patterns, so I was familiar with the fit. I jumped right in, using a size small. Normally I use size mediums for other designers to fit my shoulders, but I've found that P4P drafts for a slightly wider shoulder (yeah me!).

P4P drafts for a taller woman, so second step was removing a LOT of length in the body. I'm 5'1", I definitely don't need any extra length. If I kept the pattern as is, the hip line on the pattern would end up somewhere around my butt. So my shirts would be tunics and my tunics would be dresses. So I removed 2" from the pattern length. Since my tunic hits me exactly right, I think I took out just the right amount.

Next in line for adjustments was the bust. I am NOT a size small bust. But, if I went by my bust size, the shoulders of my tops would fall off, all the time. So, I actually have a 38" bust. The size small is drafted for a 34 or 35" bust. That means I needed to add a 3" FBA (or 1 1/2" on each side). I'm an FBA pro, so I did my typical darted FBA. I could have rotated the bust dart back out, but I find that the drape is better in my shirts when I leave the busts in.

The thing about sewing bust darts on knits is that each fabric drapes and pulls just a little differently. So unlike a woven, there's a little bit of play in length and positioning. If I was going to sew this pattern again (and I probably will), I'd make the dart point a little further towards the side seam. Also, based on the drape, the dart should be just a bit larger, maybe 1/2". That would get rid of the tiny bit of tenting I have at center front. But seriously, I'm still going to wear this!

I used the last of my Girl Charlee (affiliate link) Knit Fix Fabric from July for this Tunic. It is an amazing cotton/lycra jersey blend. It is lighter weight and just dreamy. I actually received it in my knit fix and then bought an additional 2 yards because I loved it that much. I'd buy more if I could! I used a scrap of woven fabric from my stash for the placket. Using a woven makes the plackets on henleys super easy.

I have 2 complaints with this henley. #1 is the neckline. In general, I don't wear crew neck shirts and this crew neck is definitely high. It just isn't my style. It is however well drafted and my hood fit PERFECTLY. I'll never wear it with the buttons all buttoned. Next time, I'll just add the very lowest button, and probably drop that a bit lower. I'm not trying to be scandalous, but when your bust is this large, good low necklines help balance just how much of it there is. #2 is the sleeves. I have really slender arms and I don't like loose fitting sleeves. These sleeves are a looser fit. They are by no means saggy or ill fitting. They're just loose. That is just their style. But my 2 complaints are strictly styling complaints. And both of which would be easy fixes to modify if you like everything else about the pattern. And, not a complaint, but next time, I'll need to shorten the arms. I normally do this BEFORE I sew, but I was in a rush to get this review done.

As with all the other henley patterns, I think you need this pattern. The hood is AWESOME and a great, simple addition. I'll be hacking mine into a zip up hoodie in the next week or so. Keep an eye out for that!

You can get the Patterns For Pirates Women's Henley or Bundle on sale through Sunday October 18.
Get the women's only pattern here. $6.50
To purchase the entire bundle (Men, Women and Kids) here. $18 for all 3!