Sigma Dress – Papercut Patterns

I love this dress so in general that means I love this pattern. I did, however, need to make a few tweaks to get the fit I wanted. First of all, from looking at everyone else’s Sigmas and also from measuring the paper pattern I decided that the bust darts are too high so I lowered them. I lengthened the dress by 10cm. I also made the pockets a little deeper as they appeared so small (if I’m making them I want to be able to use them!). I made a medium (I’m a pretty standard UK 12) and the fit is perfect – waist size in particular is spot on for flattering yet comfortable. One niggle is that the neckline facing is rather narrow, which means it didn’t sit right until I hand-stitched it to the lining. That’s, fine but with most dresses I just stitch the facing at the shoulder seams and if I made an unlined version I would be annoyed if I had to top-stitch it.

I haven’t seen many Sigmas with the flat skirt, but I chose this version because I suspect it’s a little more flattering for my figure. I’ve just ordered some Atelier Brunette fabric for my next Sigma and will probably try the more casual look with the gathers. So the fact that I’m already planning my next one means this pattern is a winner for me. I should also mention how lovely the pattern itself it – creative packaging and s cut-and-fold instruction booklet. I would rate the pattern five stars because the changes I made were mostly down to personal preference (and shape!).