水果派AV

Last month the sisters opened the doors to Sew Enchanted Alterations at the former Dina's Alterations in Genesee Center, returning the humble space to the same use it had for 37 years. Owner Dina Favaro retired in 2019 at the age of 80, and now Bonilla and Brennan hope to spend a few decades of their own hemming and stitching there.

When Dina's closed, the sisters and Auburn natives were in their early 20s, and Bonilla had just started running their business out of her attic.

鈥淕iving everyone your address is kind of creepy,鈥� Brennan told 水果派AV. 鈥淗aving someone walk all the way through your house to get to the dressing room is not ideal.鈥�

The two found their passion for textiles while being homeschooled by their mother, Barbara.

Though their areas of artistry differ 鈥� Brennan loves designing clothes, while Bonilla is more into sewing 鈥� they've always wanted to go into business together.

After six years of providing alteration services out of Bonilla's home, the sisters decided to move early this year. Location and affordability were their biggest considerations, Brennan said. When Genesee Center property manager Pete Marshall showed them the former Dina's and offered a similar rent to what Favaro paid, it was hard for them to turn down the opportunity.

Since moving downtown, the sisters have seen business boom as much as 110%, Brennan said.聽

Still, they've heard that some customers didn鈥檛 realize they were at Genesee Center. "Dina's Alterations" remains visible over the entrance outside, the first word as shadows after the red lettering was removed. They'll upgrade their paper window sign to a more permanent one as soon as they can, but for now, they hope to attract new customers with a 10% discount.

Inside, the sisters have put more of a stamp on the shop. It leans into their love of Disney and all things enchanted, with threads of Cinderella. The walls are the powder blue of the princess's dress, accented by聽white trim and bejeweled sconces. Flowery pink garland dangles over the counter, where a swinging white picket fence draped in faux roses leads to the workspace.

Brennan and Bonilla said they want to convey a sense of magic with their craft, and that anything is possible.

Sew Enchanted's services range from standard hemming and patching to creating articles of clothing, gluing Velcro onto gloves, trendy alterations like pockets for bridesmaid dresses, and even making Betsy Ross flags. Last year, the sisters partnered with Auburn High School's Drama Club to make costumes for one of its shows.

Aside from alterations and sewing projects, Brennan and Bonilla hope to bring retail to the shop at some point.聽

Expressing their love for Auburn, they said they're excited by the new additions and other improvements to its downtown business district.

鈥淎uburn is kind of small but, at the same time, everything is convenient,鈥� Brennan said. 鈥淓verything you need is right here.鈥�