I wrote about new sewing machines in my last post. Now I want to discuss how my social media is also active with people learning thrifting and flipping skills. Many people plan to make cautious choices about clothing purchases in 2025 and hope to move away from fast fashion to more sustainable practices.
This is completely different from the movement 10 years ago when crafters were buying all the wool sweaters, washing them in hot water to felt them and turning them into mittens and scarves. No, this is in line with patching the holes in those sweaters or recrafting a maxi dress’ generous fabrics into something else. Exploring what is still good in your closet even if you are tired of it, and updating it by rebuilding it. Maybe also melding in the coordinating piece that is also left in the closet because it’s boring, if sturdy.
“Thrift Flip: Sewing Techniques for Transforming Old Clothes into Fun, Wearable Fashions” by April Yang
I think I owned that shirt and pants set she flips on the cover. And I love the cute updated looks in the project sections, especially when it starts out as a maxi dress and ends as an adorable top and shorts set. There is one glaring error, however: Yang implies in her opening sentence that flipping t-shirts is not sewing but in my opinion, when you refresh a piece of fabric-based clothing and you use scissors or needles or anything out of a sewing box, you are sewing. You are a sewist. Get on with it and enjoy the journey!
This book has great images, a conversational tone and an encouraging writing style.
“Girl With a Sewing Machine: The No-Fuss Guide to Making and Adapting Your Own Clothes” by Jenniffer Taylor
See the sewing machine she is cuddling on the front cover? I have one of those and they are very heavy. I’m impressed with her upper body strength. Diving into the book, Taylor introduces you to her “I taught myself” and her “sewing is an empowering skill” attitude via every project in the book. Her Kimono Dress teaches how to do finished seams (easily!) and how to attach the belt to the dress. The Blanket Coat, using only body measurements, will have you shopping in your parents’ blanket chest looking for old wool to transform.
You will enjoy her story-telling style as you are inspired to emulate her flipping projects.
“Fashion Upcycling: The DIY Guide to Sewing, Mending, and Sustainably Reinventing Your Wardrobe” by Ysabel Hilado
You will find modern, edgy fashions in this book with peekaboo midriffs and one of the best looking finger-weaving flips I’ve ever seen. What Hilado does with that boxy blazer was very interesting, too. I don’t consider most of these projects to be beginner-friendly, but they are visually inspiring.
It’s fun to see the before and after images of the garments Hilado transforms. This book has excellent step-by-step processes as well as great acknowledgements at the back — candid shots of the models’ smiling faces was a nice addition!
“Second Skin: Choosing and Caring for Textiles and Clothing” by India Flint
My final offering in this article is an absolutely lovely book with images of textiles and treatments and natural landscapes. The pages themselves are muted earth tones and organic patterns. Flint does not have many “cut here, sew here, flip there” projects but instead gives us pure inspiration. Read about Australian wool and learn the burning point of wool (1058°F) and how to cover “moth-munch[y]” holes with patches and embroidery. Chapter 8 is dedicated to repurposing clothing and other textiles, yet the entire book is a delight for sustainability enthusiasts.
This offering is factual with a story-telling voice. It has lots of lovely images and big enough to be a coffee table book, if you do fall in love with it.
While I’m not addressing mending specifically here, we do have any number of books on the topic. Here is a coworker’s list, Visible Mending for Sustainable Living, created when they were doing a program on the subject.
Developing a sustainable clothing mindset is a joyful, rewarding journey but it’s not quick. You will make a few mistakes. Most of the influencers who advocate for thrifting and flipping address this in print, unlike their online counterparts who make it look easy in “Five Easy Steps!” Just take it slow, enjoy the process and learn what works for you.
