Designer Q&A | Nevena from Briosa Patterns
I’m so excited to do a little Q&A with Nevena from Briosa Patterns today! Briosa is a really unique pattern company in that all of their patterns are totally FREE.
The Gioiello dress (and the upcoming Estate dress) have options for garment cup sizes B/C, D/DD, and F/G/H. They also come in an extended size range, up to US size 30/UK size 34!
Let’s jump right in:
Q: What is your name?
A: My name is Nevena. I live in the Northern Italy, in a town near the city of Romeo and Juliet – Verona.
Q: What is your company’s name and how did you come up with it?
A: The brand name is Briosa Patterns. Briosa is an Italian word and it means lively/vivacious. Briosa Patterns is all about sharing love and joy, and its name reflects its intentions. 😊
Q: How long has your company existed?
A: The first pattern Brio (a top for kids) was released in April 2020.
Q: When and how did you decide to become a pattern designer?
A: In 2012 because I was tired of low quality, ill-fitting clothes. I remember it was the year of the studs 😐 It was impossible to find a garment without them 😐 so I said to my husband: “That’s it! I am sick and tired of the fashion trends! I am going to learn to make my own clothes!” And so I did!
I remember it was hard for me to learn sewing. But I immediately fell in love with the pattern drafting.
Q: Are you #teamrotarycutter or #teamshears?
A: Absolutely #teamshears!
But I also love my Suprena electric cutter! I use it when I cut the same pattern in different fabric colours.
Q: When is your favorite thing to sew for yourself?
A: Any project that is a quick sew. Something that I can finish in 2 to 3 hours.
Q: What made you decide to offer all your patterns for free?
A: The Covid situation. I wanted to entertain people with my patterns (our patterns because they belong to all of us) in a cheerful and carefree way. To have a space for us where we can have fun and forget about Covid.
I kept thinking: “What if someone could not afford my patterns? Or maybe they could afford some but not all.” This made me feel sad, so I decided not to sell them, but offer them instead for free. I do not want to create further separation in the world. We already have enough of that.
Also I do not want to do all sorts of extra jobs, like marketing, SEO, etc. I just want to create my art and let the world enjoy it freely! It’s a win-win for all of us!
Q: What does body diversity mean to you?
A: The most natural thing in the world! All bodies are beautiful 🥰
I see it on myself. My body has changed since I had my daughter and I love it!
I want everyone to have Briosa’s patterns, and that means creating all these versions. If there is a small adjustment to do (that does not require advance pattern drafting skills) I leave the instructions. If, on the other hand, the pattern does require some advanced pattern alterations, then I make that version. By “make” I mean adapt. I do not draft them from scratch.
Q: What inspired you to start offering full bust options for your patterns?
A: I wanted everyone to have GIOIELLO and the full bust was one of the most requested versions.
Q: What challenges did you face, if any, when adapting the Gioiello for a full bust?
A: It was necessary to create the princess seam for DDD cups because the GIOIELLO is a fitted design. The difference between the full and the under bust is substantial and the best option was the princess seam.
Want to try Nevena’s patterns? Join the Briosa Patterns to get the patterns for free!
