MARS HILL - When embarking on something new, having someone you really enjoy spending time with along for the ride makes it more seamless.
That has been the experience of Callis Chambliss and Marcyanne Hannemann, who started Remnants Thrift and Sew, a nonprofit organization in Mars Hill that functions as a thrift store and community sew spot.
According to Chambliss, the organization opened in March. Shortly after its opening, the couple attended a clothing swap at Marshall High Studios, where they gathered a whole bunch of product for starting the store.
"We ended up with like 25 contractor bags of clothes that were just left over," Chambliss said. "There's such an abundance of textile waste. Everyone we talked to about opening a thrift store, we wondered, 'How do we get clothes?' But we already have more stuff than we know what to do with."
According to Hannemann, the community has helped the organization with donations in a huge way already.
"A lot of people who find out that we're a local nonprofit very close to where they live, people have items that they don't necessarily want to give to other places," she said. "We've been really fortunate in the types of things people have been giving us, too, which is awesome.
"Same with all the fabric and sewing machines. We just got a ton of really nice fabric from someone who's been a sewist for a really long time."
As the name suggests, Remnants functions as a thrift store and community sew space. As a nonprofit organization, the couple hopes the thrift store can fund the sew space operation.
"A lot of people who sew gravitate here, because it's fun to be in community with other people who do that," Hannemann said. "I'm learning so much just from the people who come through to show them what projects I'm working on, and what they're working on. It's really fun to hear. It's a place for having people to congregate."
According to Hannemann, a lot of residents said they heard about Remnants through Let's Sew, MadCo, a Facebook group formed by Mars Hill resident Karen Governo Ingraham that has brought Madison County residents together through community service projects.
"A lot of people are joining that group because they want to learn how to sew, and then there are also a lot of people who are in it because they want to be around other people who sew, who already know a lot about it," Hannemann said. "It's cool to have that kind of combination of knowledge sets."
In the back portion of the store, Remnants operates a sew space, where for a few hours on Wednesdays and Saturdays, the space opens up for residents to utilize the sewing machines and fabrics, and sewers have access to a library of sewing books as well.
Chambliss and Hannemann welcome residents to stop in and use the machines for projects they're working on, too.
"There are a lot of resources, other than just the space and the machines that are available," Chambliss said. "There's a pattern library back there, so people can use patterns, instead of having to buy them."
According to Chambliss, Ingraham donated most all of the fabric to the upstart organization.
"She's been super helpful and supportive, and there's been a lot of collaboration," Chambliss said. "We've been really fortunate."
Remnants also offers free sewing classes, and Hannemann and Chambliss said there has been a good turnout so far.
"Everyone's doing something different when they're coming in, which is really fun," Hannemann said. "Sometimes, people just want to spread out and cut a pattern. Or, a lot of the time, it really is, 'I just need a lot of space right now.' Just having access to machines and materials makes everything easier. It's really huge.
"I mean, I live in a really small house, and any obstacle at all to starting something will make me just not do it. So, it's really nice to be able to have your things, show up and do it. Some people have a group of friends and come together as a group to sew socially."
According to the owners, the beginner classes have seen a good turnout from the community. Hannemann said the team hopes to offer a monthly introductory course touching on basics like terms and patterns, and also hopes to bring in other teachers to offer more advanced classes.
Additionally, the couple hopes to partner with WNC Repair Cafe, a group of Henderson, Buncombe and Madison County residents that meets regularly and is premised on the idea of having volunteers fix residents' clothing.
As for the Mars Hill community of residents and businesses, the community has welcomed the Remnants team with open arms, according to Hannemann.
"The reaction has been almost entirely supportive," she said. "Most of the time, people are coming and they get it right away, and they are like, 'I'm so glad you're here. This is so fun.' A lot of business owners around here have also just been so supportive.
"I think everyone is just excited for more things to happen — places to go, things to do."
According to Chambliss, the couple have been blessed with the support of two of the most welcoming demographics.
"The Mars Hill business community and just the sewing community in general are like super supportive, awesome groups," Chambliss said.
More: Let's Sew MadCo Madison County community bands together to provide for families in need during holidays
The namesake
As for the name of the organization, Hannemann said it is a play on a term used for recycled fabric.
"I like it a lot because I feel like it goes with this kind of DIY, reuse kind of feeling," Hannemann said of the name, which Cambliss came up with.
"I'm making this stuffed animal out of fabric remnants that I found in the trash bin. Even the thrift part of it is like, 'Remnants of your other lives.' There are all kinds of directions you could take it, where you're like, 'Wow, I used to wear that all the time. I don't do that now. That was a phase where I wore this all the time.'"
Hannemann and Chambliss are both working full-time on the operation and joked that they "literally hang out 24/7."
"I feel like we're really fortunate that one, we're obviously very fortunate that we like spending time together, but also that we're getting to do this thing that we want to do, that we hope is meaningful to other people," Hannemann said.
"That's a pretty lucky situation to be in."
Remnants' hours are Wednesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Sunday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Mondays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. The store is closed Tuesdays.
Remnants Thrift and Sew is located at 745 Carl Eller Road, Unit A, in Mars Hill.
Johnny Casey hascovered Madison County for The Citizen Times and The News-Record & Sentinel for three years. He earned a first-place award in beat news reporting in the 2023 North Carolina Press Association awards. He can be reached at 828-210-6074 or jcasey@citizentimes.com.
This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Nonprofit thrift store, community sew space opens in Mars Hill
