M4M Sylvia Dress | Sewing Pattern Review

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I am definitely a dress person. I’m also a big fan of sewing patterns from Made For Mermaids. Here is a sewing pattern review of the M4M Sylvia Dress.

The Made for Mermaids Sylvia Fit and Flare dress is on sale now until Sunday, October 4, 2020. Get it here. There is a youth version as well.

A dress is often my go-to outfit. I love that there’s no thinking involved. It’s one complete outfit. I have made many an M4M dress pattern. They are definitely one of my favourite sewing pattern companies. I was so excited when I got the opportunity to test a new pattern for them.

About the M4M Sylvia Dress

The Sylvia dress is a versatile dress pattern that features a plunging neckline. Depending on your body shape, this can be a very sexy evening out dress. With an added camisole it could also be a daytime, work-appropriate dress. Each body is different and so it will have a different look on everyone.

There are 2 dress options – flared or fitted. There are also 3 lengths – mini, knee and midi length. For sleeves, you can choose from cap, short, 3/4 or bishop style. That’s a lot of options packed into one pattern!

Fabric Options

The M4M Sylvia dress requires a knit fabric with good recovery. As the dress is fitted, you’ll want a fabric with some sort of substantial weight so that it sits smoothly on your body.

Be wary of fabrics that “grow” when stretched – specific fabrics like rayon spandex. I originally made my test garment out of rayon spandex and gravity pulled the dress down and distorted the shape of the bodice.

Also, I prefer a fabric that is not too thin as it tends to show every bump and lump. A slightly thicker fabric or even a fabric with a pattern will hide all that.

Sewing Pattern Review

As this dress has a fitted bodice, sizing is key. If your measurements fall in various sizes like me, you’ll want to grade.

Keep in mind the cup sizes that are suggested with each size. You may need to do a small or large bust adjustment to get it just right. Doing a test muslin – at least just for the bodice would certainly help with this pattern.

The actual construction is not too bad. The bodice is constructed in 2 pieces and has gathers before attaching to the skirt portion. The front of the dress is a total of 3 pieces.

The back consists of 2 pieces. This helps save on fabric and gives more shape to the dress.

The neckline has binding on it. The pieces are included. I prefer to use the binding attachment on my coverstitch machine for this part.

As mentioned, the fit is key with this pattern. You want to make sure that you get the bodice just right.

Overall Thoughts

As mentioned, M4M is my go-to sewing pattern company when it comes to dresses. The Sylvia Dress is a great addition. Given my body shape, the lowered neckline is not too revealing, making it a bit more versatile.

The Made for Mermaids Sylvia Fit and Flare dress is on sale now until Sunday, October 4, 2020. Get it here. There is also a youth version as well.

Want to remember my sewing pattern review of the M4M Style Dress? Be sure to save this to your favourite Pinterest board.