Finished Project: HotPatterns 2006 - Mr. HP Nice & Easy T's

A couple of months ago, I wrote a post lamenting the lack of available patterns for larger men. I am happy to report that while the Mr. HP Nice & Easy t-shirt pattern from HotPatterns stops at an XXL, it's a roomy XXL, and I only had to do a fairly easy grade-up of ~2 sizes and add a little length in a few places to get a nice, relaxed fit t-shirt for my big-and-tall husband.

To be fair, I've noticed that there seems to be a better variety of current-looking men's patterns now than there was when I started sewing seven years ago. However, the lines with the more current/stylish designs (Thread Theory, Vogue, Burda) stop around the equivalent of a men's XL AND are drafted for a slim, fitted look. Big-and-tall men don't generally want something that clings to a flabby mid-section any more than I do as a plus-sized woman. Thankfully, this is not the case with the Mr. HP t-shirt pattern. Cutting to the chase:

Things that I love about this pattern:

• Roomy fit through the mid-section. Not every guy is built like Daniel Craig, and the fit of this t-shirt is great for a guy in his mid-30's (like my husband) who has a bit of wear-and-tear on his body.
• The pattern includes both short and long-sleeved options and a v-neck and crew neck option.
• The shallow v-neck. I've been trying to steer DH towards more v-necks to update his look in recent years, but he regards the v-neck with suspicion. The v-neck on this t-shirt is shallow enough that he didn't have a problem with it. I finished the shirt on Friday, and he's worn it twice since then.
• The sleeves are nice and long on the long-sleeved view. I often have to add length to my husband's sleeves, but didn't have to with this pattern.
• Trudy's instructions for constructing said v-neck. I hadn't seen this method before, but it's easy and produces a really nice "V" (ignore the fabric bubble from over-pressing):
  
  

Here's the finished t-shirt (note that it's been graded up two sizes from the XXL). Yes, it's fresh out of the dryer and still wrinkled:

I made this first (test) version using cotton jersey (no lycra, but not an interlock) from fabric.com. The fabric had been marinating in my stash for probably a good four or five years (from the last time that I went on a t-shirt sewing binge for my husband--using a Kwik Sew pattern that time). I like this pattern better than that Kwik Sew; there was something a bit off about the armscye, and we had to fiddle with that a few times to get a comfortable fit. (Other reviewers noted this on PatternReview, as well.) The HP tee fit him comfortably without needing to futz with the armscye.

I am looking forward to updating my husband's t-shirt wardrobe with this pattern. I've already started on a version in a gray, ribbed merino wool (from my FabricMart merino wool-buying binge of a month ago).