Long Sleeved Tees – Pattern Emporium

Hello, Snazzie People!

Let me tell you about two long-sleeved tees that were supposed to be Henley’s!

One of my most made sewing patterns is the Keep It Simple Babe (KISB) Tee pattern from Pattern Emporium. It is a semi-fitted tee shirt with a bunch of neckline and sleeve options.

I like to make layering tees to fit into my seasonal wardrobes, and this is my go-to pattern. For layering, I usually make the high scoop neck option with the cap sleeves.

For my winter 2025 wardrobe, I used the pattern to make myself two long-sleeved crew neck tee shirts to wear casually in the evenings and weekends.

When I got the fabric for these two shirts, I wanted to make Henley’s, but I couldn’t find a pattern I liked. In the past, I tried the Breckenridge Henley from Love Notions, but I didn’t like the neckline; it was too low on me and not easy to assemble. This could have been because of the very stretchy micro-ribbed knit fabric I was using.

It wasn’t until after I made these tees and after the Black Friday sales that I found out that Itch to Stitch has a Henley pattern. The Visby Henley is exactly what I am looking for, I don’t know how I missed it. I’ll have to give the Visby Henley a try sometime.

Another option would have been to hack the KISB tee to make a Henley. This is still something I would like to try in the future, but I decided to get myself a couple of quick wins and two new long-sleeved tee shirts in my closet.

I’ve been making most of my KISB shirts in size 8 but I decided to size up to a size 10 and I’m glad I did. Both tees fit so well.

The gray shirt is made from a silver-gray soft waffle knit from Cali Fabrics. It is soft, light, and drapery, and I already snagged it on something. It’s a good thing these are for around the house.

The green shirt is probably my favorite of the two. The fabric is an emerald green, wavy urban ribbed knit from Cali Fabrics. The ribs give the fabric a unique look. The fabric is a polyester, rayon, and spandex blend, so it can get a little warm, which is fine for winter, but it is a little more structured than the gray shirt, and I really like the way it hangs. I think it has a little more of the crisp, fitted look that I like.

I still have a bunch of fabric left over from both shirts. I thought about combining the two to make a Henley but I think they might be too different. I do think the green fabric would be good for neckbands, waistbands, and cuffs.

The gray fabric could be used to make a spring tee. I could see making something with a contrasting neckband and armbands like one of my other favorite patterns from Emporium Patterns, the Endless Summer Tee.

Do you have a favorite Henley pattern you would like to recommend?

Have you ever made any Pattern Emporium patterns?