DIY Thrift Flip: Sewing Techniques for Transforming Old… (2024)

We live in a society where we are becoming more and more conscious of waste. This book provides the perfect solution to clothes waste and that is to transform old clothes into something more wearable or even in fashion.

This a fantastically detailed guide on what equipment you’ll need, setting up your workspace, even where to shop. It then provides you with detailed ideas on how to transform your clothes and the perfect techniques to use.

Perfect for anyone who wants to refresh old clothes or maybe even sell them on. This book could be the starting point for a new hobby for many people.

Lots of useful information, especially for beginning sewers. Clear and detailed photos of techniques and some individual projects. This is great introduction to a fun and frugal hobby.

[ NetGalley Review ]

I love this book as a person who’s currently testing out DYI flips to maintain a sustainable closet. The steps are clear and direct, I’m definitely testing out the heart shaped shirt. What I noticed besides the perfect alignment, font accessibility, and order is the diversity of people wearing the outfits, different body types and different styles that could fit modest fashion lovers like me, this book is a charming scoop.

As someone who has had “Learn How To Thrift Flip” on my goals/projects list for over a year, the title of the book instantly caught my eye! The cute cover made it feel like this book was going to be approachable and easy to digest, as well as educational. And I was not disappointed! I found this book easy to follow, with a good balance of detailed explanation as well as images to demonstrate the instructions.

I particularly appreciate that the book did not skip the step of first knowing how to shop for pieces to “flip”. That is what differentiates this book, in my opinion, from any other book on sewing, following patterns etc. This book specifically helps you first find usable pieces, which for many (including myself), is likely the even bigger hurdle than learning basic sewing techniques. The shopping principles can then also be applied to “shopping” your closet for pieces to thrift.

Thank you April Yang for the delightful book, and for helping me take the first steps in pursuing a new hobby!

Disclaimer: I voluntarily read and reviewed a gifted and advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This book shows ways that you can alter or upcycle thrifted pieces to create new clothes. Whether clothing, curtains, or bed sheets, the book explains how you can create patterns, alter, or create all new items from a variety of fabric types. It also shows before and after pictures of some items created by the author, so you can get some ideas and inspiration for your own projects.

I do think this is more than a beginner level book, even though the basic tools and notions are shown for someone who has never sewn before. I also would love to see more size inclusivity talked about, maybe show examples of smaller garments pieces together to make plus sizes. But it is a good resource for some inspiration or basic technique ideas.

Thank you to NetGalley and Quarry Books for an advanced copy of this look

The book is aimed at teens/young adults mostly, but it is packed with tips helpful for beginners.

If you wanted to learn the craft, this book is gonna be a great start, especially since thrift flipping can be a bit more affordable compared to making clothes from scratch.

It gives a lot of information about how to use the sewing machine, but fear not, sewing by hand is an option as well, it just takes a bit more time, but if you want to sew, not having a sewing machine shouldn't stop you, at least for the beginning.

The instructions are easy to follow, with clear pictures. The projects may be a bit difficult to replicate at times, if you don't find the right base, but I think the ideas presented in the book can easily be adapted to other clothes.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest opinion

Recycle and reuse is a great motto and one I try to live by. I love thrifting - it’s my favorite way to shop for new (to me) clothes - I don’t like fast fashion and how disposable our culture views clothing and household items; I’ve always enjoyed thrifting and secondhand items.

Creating your own specialty items really lends itself to thinking more creatively for conscientious shoppers looking to help their budgets, viewing quality differently, helping to save landfills, and the not insignificant bonus of having wholly unique fashions.

This terrific guide helps consumers learn basic sewing schools, and how to choose what will work regarding projects. It’s full of photos, suggestions, and directions. A great choice for tweens and up.

Thank you to Quarry Books and NetGalley for the PDF

Are you interested in learning how to take thrifted clothes and restyle them? If you don’t know where to begin this is the perfect place to start. April Yang provides the knowledge and advice on how to start. What basic supplies you need to begin alterations is included in the first chapter. Advice on what to look for at the thrift or vintage shops, how to tell if the garments will fit, and not to limit yourself to just clothing. Look at bedding, curtains and table clothes in a new way.

Instructions and samples are shown of a few possible alterations. The beauty of this book is not as a primer but as an inspiration, a jumping off point to your own creativity. Soon you will have a unique wardrobe of sustainable fashion.

This is a good reference book for altering clothes or remaking clothes. The instruction and photos are clear. Numerous types of alterations, additions or changes are included from simple hemming and gathers to drafting and adding various types of sleeves and collars; and also tips on working with different fabrics. There are fun ideas such as slashing and "braiding" knit wear or adding yard embroidery. Lots of examples of remakes are explained well with instructions and clear photographs. Although the examples given are not ones I'd use myself, the techniques can be used for so many other fashions. I found the book very inspiring and think it will be a great reference for redoing/updating old clothes and turning thrift finds into fun outfits.

I highly recommend this book for anyone who wants to get ideas on how to take thrift finds and turn them into the wardrobe you really want. Even if you're like me, with little skill when it comes to sewing, there are some projects here that you can do.
The best thing about this book is how practical it is. It starts out showing you how to add pockets -- who doesn't wish they had more pockets? And then there are several ways you can alter your clothing so it fits better. Then there are several projects using tee shirts, curtains, pillowcases, and other clothing to create new, cute clothes. Thanks so much to NetGalley for letting me read this.

As a creative person who loves to hit up the op-shop, this book instantly grabbed my attention, through a mix of cute cover art and an exciting title. The book gives a really good introduction to the basics of sewing, great for beginners and a really good refresher for those more experienced with sewing. It is broken up into handy chapters with specific skills (pockets, sleeves, ect) and additions (embroidery, cut-outs, patchwork ect.). The images are really handy, with clear progression of the steps and the final products.

I received this DRC from NetGalley.

I think this is a good resource for someone new(ish) to sewing clothes, and it's a great idea to upcycle otherwise unused items. Even if the aesthics aren't all my style, I can appreciate the general tips and ideas of what to do. I don't think these will all be quick and easy projects for people completely unfamiliar with sewing clothes, and I think there could be more about finishing raw edges, but I suppose if you don't care about having perfectly finished garments, then this could be enough to get started.

This diy book is by April Yang aka Coolirpa.

I have followed Coolirpa for a long time. I think I first stumbled upon her either here or Youtube, years ago. Besides reading, I love sewing, especially clothes. So, when I saw this book, of course I had to check it out! It was well written, great pictures and tips. I would pick this up for any budding sewing clothing creator, or anyone interesting in recycling clothes or thrifting flips. It was done better than some that I have read before, so snag it up!

I received this book as an ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Many thanks to the author and publisher for this opportunity.

This book has the perfect balance of instruction without getting too technical or wordy. A very useful guide.

Many creative and cute sewing projects to keep you engaged and wanting to try.

If you want to learn how to “flip” thrifted clothes…this is the book for you.

What a fun book! This is so well written, with lots of basic sewing information, good info about how to find thrift clothing and other materials that will work for redesigning, tons of photos of every step, and a nice variety of 20 projects. Yang is knowledgeable and likable, and the projects had a wide range of levels of ease and style.

I read a temporary digital copy of this book for review.

I got this book to see some cute ways of changing up something you already have into a different outfit.. like Marge Simpson with that Chanel suit.

I adore all of the cute, petit outfits.. One thing that really stood out to me was how the author also had some plus-sized items and model, and even a couple for the guys.

Could have totally been longer! 👗

*Temporary e-copy received via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I've been a big fan of her channel amd thrift flips from her early days! It's a good book for a beginner sewer like myself. She offers definitions of terms what you need. Ideas on what to look for and even thrift flip "patterns" and gives detailed instructions on how to complete the project. Will definitely be going back to book!

I received a complimentary copy of this book via Netgalley. Opinions expressed in this review are my own

Although I now need to buy a sewing machine now, I think some of these are doable, even with my lack of skills.

I really enjoyed the tips and how-to at the beginning of the book. I love thrifting and finding new uses for what I already have

This provides not only Thrift Flip but reinventing your own wardrobe. There are several ideas within the pages. I do wish there were even more and some that are on point with the latest fashion trends. I do love the idea of changing up clothes and/or your own wardrobe for a more versatile closet. Definitely worth a look and a great side hustle.
Thanks to netgalley, the author and publisher.

I think that this book is very timely, and has clear instructions and interesting ideas.

I think it will appeal most to teenagers and young adults, style wise. You need access to a sewing machine and some skills to complete these projects, but they all seem like a lot of fun.

Thank you to Quattro Publishing Group and Netgalley for providing me with an arc of this book to read and review.

A great, short, introduction to the art of restyling clothes. Although the book is only short it details the basic equipment required, explains why different size machine needles are needed for different fabric and a host of other information. Also contained is 20 different projects you can use for inspiration.
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As a fellow thrift lover, I knew I had to dive into this one! Venturing into the world of flipping clothing into something I would actually wear has always been an intimidating area for me, but this felt like the perfect guide! I can’t wait to try the Heart Cutout Sweatshirt on the new reenact sweater I find!

This book has lots of pictures and good written descriptions of basic sewing techniques. It would be a good introduction to people who want to start seeing their own clothes but don't know where to start. It is also very relevant to the slow fashion movement and growing interest in thifting from all ages.

This was very cool. I love the idea of thrifting but usually pass on items because something just wasn’t right. This book gives ideas for making an item what works for you. There’s also do’s and don’ts what to buy and what not to.

This is a fantastic resource for all sewists (yes, including absolute beginners!). This book provides a detailed, but succinct, overview of the basics, including materials, vocabulary, and techniques for beginning to sew--specifically through the lens of "thrift flipping." Also included are several project ideas that feature different skills, such as tailoring, adding space, and gathering. I specifically appreciated the portion describing warp/weft/bias on thrifted fabric that does not include the selvage edge. After taking a sewing 101 class, I found this part to be challenging, so thanks for the explanation!

My only critique is I wished there were more QR codes directing reads to explanatory videos. This is often my gripe with craft books--as a visual learner, only so much can be gleamed from text and photos.

I am grateful for the free ARC PDF copy that was provided to me by NetGalley and Quarto Publishing Group. All opinions are my own.