Here are the girls working away!!I can't believe our week is already drawing to a close. Ryane and Mandie have been such treasures to have in the studio. The one character trait I most respect in both the girls is that they would rather actually DO whatever needs to be done instead of watching us do it. They both jjumped in with both feet tackling sewing and designing tasks that neither of them were familiar with. I presented them with two very daunting goals for the week. One was to take apart and restyle a vintage wedding gown and the second was to upcycle a fairly modern gown. The upcycled gown must be ready by 4:00 when our model and our professional photographer arrive for the formal photo shoot. The girls are finishing up some hand work on the lace train and the gown will be done with at least an hour to spare. The vintage dress has gone as far as it can until we discuss some issues with the bride. I am so impressed with these two girls!

Ramblings of An Intern

Mandie Lenar here with a refletion on my internship. Intruding on anyone's workplace is a daunting task, and the usual mindest of an intern is to stay quiet and out of the way. But here at Unique Boutique and Bridal I got the chance to do some real work from the moment I arrived and put to use some of my old sewing lessons and 4-H experiene. Said work was on an actual wedding dress someone might actually wear (which blows my mind, since a girl's wedding is the most important day of her life). The program Suzy Zeller has set up here is something special. I often personify things in my mind, and if I were to personify these dresses - she is giving them a second chance at life. Instead of being thrown away after one use they get to be made into something new entirely. I have never been the most talented at sewing (especially cutting - in Kindergarten I was so bad they told me to practice on coupons at home), but with the guidance Suzy has given me I feel as if I am accomplishing something even if I don't know exactly how I'm doing it! Some stuff had to be redone, but for the most part things are moving along smoothly, and I'm excited for the end result. Safe to say I'm happy with my internship choice. :)

From an interns perspective

For starters, my name is Ryane Zamora and I am a senior at Heritage Christian School. This week, I got an amazing opportunity to intern a local business to get a feel for "the real world." After much searching, I came across Miss Suzy Zeller and knew I had to intern with her.
This week, I learned more than I can put into just one blog. We've worked with a lot of dresses and A LOT of lace. I've learned some new techniques that honestly can help me as I grow in designing. This experience has taught me that it takes plenty of time and brainstorming for something as amazing as a wedding dress to come together. Miss Suzy has been so patient with me, especially when I first worked with her sewing machine and this opportunity to intern with her has been incredibly beneficial. Not only have I learned new things, it has also been a blast seeing some of these dresses come together. As I continue my high school career, I hope to put these newly learned talents to work with making some costumes for our play.
I cannot thank Suzy Zeller enough for teaching me just a bit of her amazing talents and hard work and also for being so supportive and patient. :)

Here is a sample of what we have been working on at the studio...ENJOY!!

The Start of a New Year!

Well it is the start of a new year and here at the shop we are back, busy at work. This whole week we are so excited to have two interns from Heritage Christian High School, Mandy and Ryane! We have such a busy week planned that there will not be a moments rest. We are starting the creation of "Winter Wonderland," a soft and flowing fit and flatter style dress made in white and ice blue. Perfect for a winter fairy tale wedding. We will be having the photo shoot for it on Friday the 6th so be sure to check back for the wonderful pictures that will be taken by Jessica Mussleman of JM Photography. Our second big project this week is a vintage restyle for a bride who is living Scotland and who is having her dream wedding in Portugal. The gown is a fabulous ivory and lace dress that the bride's mother wore at her wedding. We are so excited for both of these projects and can't wait to show off the finished products.