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Thrift Flip Floral Two Piece Set (w/ DIY Wrap Top)

  • 6-min read
  • 10 Tools
  • Beginner

Introduction

The average person only wears 20% of their wardrobe on a regular basis.

20%!

So many clothes just wishing to be worn before they’re tossed.

What if you could breathe new life into those neglected items and create a unique, fashionable outfit?

In this blog post, we’re going to delve into the world of thrift flipping, a sustainable and creative way to give old clothes a new life. By the time you finish reading, you’ll know how to turn a thrifted outfit into a stylish floral two piece set.

So, let’s dive in!

tiffany in a thrifted floral dress Tiffany wearing the floral two piece set she thrift flipped. Short floral skirt on the bottom and a deep v wrap with puffy sleeves on top

Tools & Materials

Just a reminder that my original video is in the middle of the page. You can watch the entire process and read the entire transcript there if you’re interested .

The Thrift Flip Challenge and the Floral Two Piece Set

Thrift flipping is a fun and sustainable way to update your wardrobe. It involves taking thrifted or old items and transforming them into something new and fashionable.

In this challenge, we started with a two-piece floral set, a drop waist dress with a matching jacket, and a lovely trim. The fabric felt a bit dated, and the color was pretty dark, making it feel heavy. The goal was to create something more youthful and playful.

Creating the Deep V Wrap Top

The first step in our thrift flip journey is to create a cropped deep V wrap top with puff sleeves. Here’s how:

  1. Draft a Pattern: Start by drafting a pattern for a deep V wrap top with puff sleeves. You can use a free pattern from a reliable source and modify it to fit your body and style.
  1. Cut Out the Fabric: Use the modified pattern to cut out your fabric. Remember to mirror your pieces for a symmetrical look.
  1. Sew the Darts and Shoulder Seams: Place your front pieces right sides facing and sew together along the shoulder seams.
  1. Attach the Lining to the Shell: Place your lining right sides facing onto your top. Sew the shell and lining pieces together along the neckline.
  1. Sew the Neck Line Together: Sew the neck line together and then press for a clean finish. I understitched the lining to the seam allowance.
  1. Sew the Side Seams Together: Sew the side seams together, starting with the lining and then the shell.
  1. Make the Sleeves: Make a cuff the same width as the hem of the sleeve. Pin. Fold. the seem allowance. Pin again. Sew it together with a small gap for your elastic.
  1. Sew on the Sleeves: Sew on the sleeves. If you want, you can add a basting stitch along the top to create gathers.
  1. Gather the Fabric for the Bust: Sew a basting stitch along the curve of the bust and gather the fabric until it’s the same width as the top section of the top.
  1. Attach the Waist Tie to the Top: Attach a long waist tie to the top. The length of the waist tie should be enough to wrap around your body comfortably.

Next, we’ll dive into creating the top and wrapping up our upcycled outfit.

Sewing Tutorial: THRIFT FLIP | DIY Matching Summer Set

“Hello, my name is Tiffany and welcome or welcome back to my channel. If you like sewing and DIY videos, make sure to give this video a thumbs up and subscribe to my channel. I am back with another upcycle by little toe where I take old forgotten items and give them a new life but this one’s a little bit special because it’s officially May which means it is AAPI Heritage Month. To celebrate, I’m doing a month of thrift flip challenges featuring some of my fellow Asian creators and we’re starting off with a Creator I met on Tick Tock. Her name is Joanne and she makes the most beautiful vibrant clothes and here she is to introduce herself.

Hi, my name is Joanne. I’m a sustainable fashion designer. I have a small business where I make one-of-a-kind clothing using vintage textiles. Everything is handmade and of high quality so if you like unique colorful clothing, come check me out at Joanne Sunny K on Instagram and Tick Tock. I’m so excited to be a part of this Thrift flip challenge for AAPI heritage month. I’m Korean American and my parents immigrated here from South Korea. Without their sacrifice, I wouldn’t be doing what I’m doing today and following my dreams. I’m so happy that Asian people are finally getting recognized for their contributions to society and culture. Thank you, Tiffany, for letting me be a part of this and I’m looking forward to this challenge.

I’ve done a bunch of these Thrift flip challenges on my channel before but basically, we have a $10 budget to Thrift one or more items for the other person to flip into a new outfit. I am so excited about this so let’s get started. I’m packing up the items that I’m gonna send over to Joanne and I’m not going to show you everything but I have to show you one of the things because it is so freaking cute. I thrifted this duck curtain and I think it is so adorable and I think she’s really gonna like this. I’m also going to be sending her these two things from my stash. I am so excited to send these things to her so make sure you check out her video to see exactly what I send and what she turns it into.

The package that Joanne sent me just came in the mail and I am so excited but also really nervous to see what it is. I had it ah, it’s a two-piece floral set. I mean how could I not love this? Here is a closer look at what Joanne sent me. It is a drop waist dress and the bottom section is pleated. It also came with this matching jacket and this is definitely something I would have picked out for myself at a thrift store to upcycle. She also sent me this really lovely trim.

I’m in the middle of seam ripping the outfit and I can tell by the sewing that this was handmade and I wanted to mention that whoever made this took the time to use French seams which if you know me, you know I really appreciate. I spent the last few days doing a little bit of research and I was really inspired by these vintage playsuits and matching sets so I decided to make a two-piece set which is very on brand for me. The fabric that I’m working with feels really dated and because the color is pretty dark, it feels so heavy and I want to try to make something that’s more youthful and playful.

I’m going to start with the top and I’ve decided to make a cropped deep V wrap top with puff sleeves so I’m going to use this free pattern from mood fabrics and it is a pattern for a dress but I’m just going to use the bodice portion of the pattern. Here is the original pattern for the front bodice and here is my pattern traced out in a size 4. You can already see that I’ve made some modifications. This whole section here is the seam allowance required for the dress but I’m fully lining my top so I decided not to include this section in my pattern. I also made my shoulder seem a little bit narrower and lowered the armhole for a more comfortable fit. Finally, I cracked the side seam slightly but I added some length to this section closer to the center Front. The reason that I’m adding a little bit of length to the center portion of this pattern is because in the original pattern the top just meets under the bust in the center front but I want my pattern to overlap slightly. Using my modified pattern, I cut out my Fabric and here are my mirrored pieces.

Moving on to the back, here is the original back bodice pattern and here is mine again traced out in a size 4. I made the shoulder seem narrower and lowered the armhole just like I did for the front. I also cropped the entire back and I added a dart. The original pattern calls for gathers along the back but I want my top to have a little bit more of a cleaner look so I just drafted a really simple Dart. Using this pattern, I cut out my fabric which was cut on fold. Next is to sew the darts and you should have something that looks like this. I’m placing my front pieces right sides facing and I’ll sew together along the shoulder seams. Here is what the top should look like now and I’m just laying it out flat so that I can place my lining right sides facing. I used a thrifted sheet to make a lining but because it’s so different to the floral fabric, I decided to make a facing using the floral fabric along the neckline of the lining. Also, my shell and lining pieces together along the neckline.

I’ve turned the top to the right side and given it a good press and just look how nice the inside looks like as well. Here is a close-up and I wanted to show you that I also under stitched the lining to the seam allowance. Also, the side seams together starting with the lining and then the shell. I’ll do this on both sides and you should have something that looks like this. Next is to sew on the sleeves. I’m going to reuse the sleeve pattern that I drafted for this top that I made a couple of months ago just because I really like the way that it fits. Here is the sleeve that I cut out and I’m folding it in half right sides facing and I’ll sew together here. Here it is sewn and I did also fold the seam allowance under and sewed that in place for a clean finish.

I’m making little cuffs to go on the bottom of my sleeves and I thought it’d be really cute to add the trim onto the Cuffs as a little accent so now I’m just going to figure out the length that I need by wrapping this around my arm. Based on that length, I cut out this piece to use as my cuff. This will be folded in half later so I’m placing my trim along the top half of the cuff and I’ll sew this in place. Here is a close-up of what the trim looks like sewn on. Slight change your plans, I got really excited and I went ahead and finished one whole sleeve and I absolutely hate it. I hate it. I don’t like the way the trim looks and I think it makes it look really dated so I’m gonna go ahead and make an elasticized waist instead.

Take two for the sleeves and I made a cuff that is the same width as the Hem of the sleeve. I’m placing the cuff on the Hem of my sleeve right sides facing and I’ll pin all the way around and then sew this in place. This is what it should look like sewn together. Now I’m folding the seam allowance up and then folding again to meet the seam from earlier and I’ll pin this in place. I’ll do this all the way around and you can see how all of the raw edges are now neatly hidden. I’ll sew this together but I’ll leave a small Gap here as an opening to insert my elastic. I’ve attached a safety pin to one end and I’m just feeding it through the channel. Now I’ll sew both ends of the elastic together and then I’ll sew the Gap from earlier closed. This is what the sleeve should look like now and I’ve also sewed a basting stitch along the top here to create these Gathers.

I have my sleeve pinned to just the shell layer and I’ll sew them together with my machine and then I’ll hand sew the lining hiding any raw edges and you can’t tell me that doesn’t look so good. Here is what the top looks like now with both sleeves sewn on. I went ahead and sewed a basing Stitch along the curve here so that I can gather the section to accommodate the bust. I did the same for the other side as well. You can gather as much or as little as you want here depending on how much coverage you want. To finish the top, I’m adding this long waist tie. Unfortunately, I don’t have exact measurements for this waist tie. It just has to be long enough to wrap around your body. Starting on this end, I’ll fold this in half right sides facing and I’ll sew this end together as well as along the edge here to about this point. I’ll leave this middle section for now but I’ll repeat the same steps on the other side of the waist tie again sewing till about this point.

This is what it should look like now. I’ve turned the ends to the right side and given it a good press and this middle section has not been sewn yet. Next is to attach the waist tie to the top. I’m placing the middle section of my waist tie onto my top right side spacing and pinning it in place. I’ll sew these together and this is what the top should look like at this point. We are almost done with the top and just like the sleeves, I’m folding the seam allowance up and then folding again to meet this seam hiding all of the raw edges. I’ll go ahead and sew this in place and here is the finished top and you already know that I love just how clean it looks like on the inside as well.

Initially, when I was making the top my plan was to just crisscross the front and then tie it in the back but now that the top is done, I just realized that I can actually wear it in a few different ways so I just wanted to show you. The first way is the simplest and it’s just tying it in a bow in the front. The second way which is the way I intended on wearing it is overlapping the front and then tying it in a bow in the back but the final way is my favorite and I’m just crossing the panels over and then bringing it back around creating this knot effect and then again tying it in a bow in the back.

On to the matching bottoms, I want to try to create a pair of shorts that look like a mini skirt and I have a pretty good idea in my head on how to execute this so I’m really hoping that this works out. I’m gonna make these shorts in two sections and I am still completely obsessed with the skirt that I made a couple of videos ago so I’m going to use the pattern that I used for the top of the skirt for the top of these shorts. Here is the pattern for the top section of the front and here it is cut out of the fabric which was cut unfold. Here is the pattern I’ll be using for the top section of the back and here it is cut out and I went ahead and cut out the Merit piece as well. Next is the soda darts and you should have something that looks like this now. I’m just placing my front and back pieces right sides facing and I’ll sew together along the side seams. This is what it should look like sewn together and following the same steps I went ahead and made a lining piece as well.

For the bottom of the shorts, my plan is to gather the fabric to hopefully make it look full enough to look like a skirt. I’m going to be using a shorts pattern that I already have but I’m going to show you how I modify it. I’m laying out a large piece of paper to draft my pattern on. This is the front pattern piece for a pair of shorts and I’m just going to trace this out. It really doesn’t need to be neat, we’re just going to use it as a guide. I’m going to extend the side seam by about 2 inches and then I’ll draw a straight line down from the waist to the new side seam. I’m also going to add some length to the bottom of the shorts. I’m going to add about 2 inches here as well. I’m going to draw a straight line from the new side seam to the bottom of the shorts. I’m going to do the same for the other side. This is what the new pattern should look like. I’m going to cut this out and then I’ll use this to cut out my fabric.

Here is the fabric that I cut out using the pattern and I went ahead and cut out a mirrored piece as well. I’m going to sew these together along the crotch seam. This is what it should look like sewn together and I went ahead and did the same for the back. I’m placing my front and back pieces right sides facing and I’ll sew together along the side seams. This is what it should look like sewn together. I went ahead and made a lining piece as well. I’m placing my lining and shell pieces right sides facing and I’ll sew together along the top edge. I’ve turned the shorts to the right side and given it a good press and I’m just going to sew a basting stitch along the top edge here. I’ll do the same for the other side as well. I’m going to gather the fabric until it’s the same width as the top section of the shorts. I’ll do the same for the other side as well. I’m placing the top and bottom sections right sides facing and I’ll sew these together. This is what the shorts should look like now and I’m just going to sew the lining to the seam allowance. I’ll do this all the way around and you should have something that looks like this.

To finish the shorts, I’m going to add an invisible zipper to the back. I’m placing my zipper right sides facing onto the back of the shorts and I’ll sew this in place. I’ll do the same for the other side of the zipper. This is what the zipper should look like sewn in and I’m just going to sew the rest of the back seam closed. I’m going to add a waistband to the shorts and I’m just cutting out a long strip of fabric that is the same width as the waist of the shorts. I’m placing the waistband right sides facing onto the shorts and I’ll sew this in place. I’m folding the seam allowance up and then folding again to meet the seam from earlier and I’ll pin this in place. I’ll do this all the way around and you can see how all of the raw edges are now neatly hidden. I’ll sew this in place and here are the finished shorts. I’m so happy with how these turned out and I’m just so glad that my idea worked out.

Here is the final look and I am so happy with how this turned out. I think it’s so cute and playful and I just love the matching set. I think it’s perfect for summer and I’m just so excited to wear this. I hope you enjoyed this video and if you did, please give it a thumbs up and subscribe to my channel and I’ll see you in my next one. Bye.”

I hope this helps! Let me know if you need anything else.

Making the Shorts

The next step is to create a pair of shorts that look like a mini skirt. Here’s how:

  1. Draft a Pattern: Draft a pattern for the shorts. You can use a shorts pattern you already have and modify it to fit your style. I used the same pattern for the top that I used for my Agua Bendita Dupe.
  2. Cut Out the Fabric: Use the pattern to cut out your fabric. Remember to mirror your pieces for a symmetrical look.
  1. Sew the Crotch Seam and Side Seams: Place your front and back pieces right sides facing and sew together along the crotch seam and side seams.
  1. Attach the Lining to the Shell: Place your lining and shell pieces right sides facing and sew together along the top edge.
  1. Gather the Fabric for the Waist: Sew a basting stitch along the top edge of the shorts and gather the fabric until it’s the same width as the top section of the shorts.
  1. Attach the Waist Tie to the Shorts: Attach a long waist tie to the shorts. The length of the waist tie should be enough to wrap around your waist comfortably.
  1. Add an Invisible Zipper: To finish the shorts, add an invisible zipper to the back.

The Final Look

The final look is a cute and playful matching set, perfect for summer. The deep V wrap top with puff sleeves adds a feminine touch, while the shorts that look like a mini skirt add a playful twist. The floral print brings a vintage charm, making the outfit unique and stylish.

Conclusion

Thrift flipping is not just a fun challenge; it’s a sustainable and creative way to update your wardrobe. With some sewing skills and creativity, you can transform any old or thrifted item into a fashionable outfit. So, why not give it a try? You might surprise yourself with what you can create.

Remember, the key to successful thrift flipping is to think outside the box, question conventional wisdom, and try new things. So, get out there, grab that old piece of clothing, and start creating!

I hope this guide inspires you to take control of your wardrobe, set high goals, and work hard to achieve them.

If you liked this article or projects like this, please follow me on Instagram and YouTube for more images and videos of my work. It means the world to me and is free!

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As always, thank you so much for reading, and happy upcycling!

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