A local resident has expanded her clothing and accessory business in Franklin to include an Oil City store.
Shannon Curtis opened S Threads Boutique last week at 17 Central Ave. in the former Welker & Maxwell department store on the city’s South Side.
The ground floor space was previously occupied by several tenants, including the department store’s shoe department and the Monarch Cafe.
The Franklin shop, located on Elk Street, opened in November 2018.
In Oil City, the shop features handmade women’s and children’s clothing and accessories, including customized jewelry. Much of the inventory is billed as “upcycled,” a term that applies to the re-use of various fabrics and the creation of a unique and fashionable item of clothing.
“They are repurposed fabrics and … piece work,” said Curtis, owner of both S Threads Boutique shops. “I learned from draping, patterns, and then just sort of laid it out. I’ve gotten my niche.”
One sweater-coat on display at the Oil City store is made of various fabrics and different shades of gray. Another clothing item is a skirt that features the waistline from a pair of slacks and flowing materials from three separate sweaters.
The former Ohio resident is a certified medical administrative specialist and worked several years in the medical field, including stints at the Cleveland Clinic and UPMC Northwest.
“Sewing was my hobby and I had girls at work ask me to make handbags and then medical scrub tops,” said Curtis, adding she would buy thrift store clothes, take them apart, study how they were made, examine the patterns and then put them together in a unique way.
Curtis accepts special orders, too, for customized attire and provides a venue in both her shops for consignment artists. In the near future, she said, a line of boys and men’s fashions will be offered for sale. In addition, the owner intends to offer space in the Oil City location for guest artists to teach classes.
“It has been very welcoming here and that’s been wonderful,” said Curtis.
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