Thrift Flip: DIY Jumpsuit From a Vintage Housedress

4 Materials
$5
30 Minutes
Easy

I adore jumpsuits but unfortunately have a long torso & a rather funky personal style so am rarely able to find any off-the-rack. Fortunately my refashionista imagination + simple sewing skills mean I can create my own from a fab vintage housedress! Discover how I transformed that frumpy frock into a fabulous jumpsuit with my easy thrift flip tutorial:


Tools and materials:

  • House dress
  • Jumpsuit with your desired fit (or comfy lounge pants) to use as a template
  • Scissors
  • Sewing machine
Sew a jumpsuit

Flip

Turn the house dress inside out, line up all the seams as evenly and neatly as possible, making sure all the fabric is lying flat.

How to sew a jumpsuit

Trace and cut

If you’re using lounge pants to trace out the pattern for the bottom of the jumpsuit, fold the pants in half lengthwise, and match the side seams to the side seam of the house dress. Cut around the crotch and leg seams, keeping the zipper intact, and leaving about a ½-inch of seam allowance. 

Make a jumpsuit

If you’re using a jumpsuit, fold the jumpsuit in half, and line up the side seams, shoulder seams, and front opening with the matching areas on the house dress. 

How to make a jumpsuit

Cut around the crotch area and the legs, keeping the zipper intact and leaving a ½-inch seam allowance.

Jumpsuit tutorial

Sew

Ignore the little keyhole area in the crotch for the moment, and sew down the leg seams with a straight stitch. To prevent the fabric from fraying, go over the seam allowance with a zigzag stitch. 

Flip and sew

Flip the jumpsuit so that the edges of the crotch seam are aligned with each other in one long curved line, instead of in a keyhole shape. Then sew the edges together. 



How awesome did this come out?! It’s so comfortable, and there’s already a pocket and a zipper. I am totally going to be on the hunt for more house dresses to transform into more of these fantastic jumpsuits.

What do you think of this thrift flip? Will you be using this tutorial to sew a jumpsuit from a house dress?

Suggested materials:
  • House dress
  • Jumpsuit
  • Scissors
See all materials

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