Making Cloth Adult Diapers - Advice Wanted!

[TheMagicDragon]

I am looking for good advice, not comments, on fabricating one's own adult cloth diapers. I seek advice for best choices of fabrics (gauze vs. fleece, etc.), patterns (pre-fold, contoured (velcro/ pinned0 and pull-up type) for daytime and also night time, and any tips you may have. Also wold like a pattern for making a cloth diaper doubler (stuffer) insert for nighttime - extended wear. We have a sewing machine but little experience.

The interesting part is this isn't just for myself - I am thinking of holding a real "Build-an-Adult-Diaper" Workshop for the activity after one of this year's NJ Littles Munches and several of the members have expressed serious interest in this subject, myself included. I find its nice to have cloth diapers around in case you run out of funds for disposables, and their great for reverse potty-training/ diaper training too) Others prefer cloth to begin with. In any case, the topic here is making cloth diapers that are good - to - high quality, not anyting else.

I had a nice contoured diaper (long since purged in the '90s) and currently have a nice pull-up diaper but its too damn pillowy for daytime use. I'm thinking about each member making a few of their own in a one-hour workshop so this likely would not be enough time to make anything very fancy - the idea is for people to learn how to make one and take this basic skill home with them to work on. So I'm looking for some simple but nice patterns that are fun to actually wear and use.

I'm looking for quality advice from those who have had experience in making these. You know who you are. This is not a good thread for the peanut gallery - please post newbie quips and negative thinking elsewhere. Thanks!

[Angela Bauer]

I am looking for good advice, not comments, on fabricating one's own adult cloth diapers. I seek advice for best choices of fabrics (gauze vs. fleece, etc.), patterns (pre-fold, contoured (velcro/ pinned0 and pull-up type) for daytime and also night time, and any tips you may have. Also wold like a pattern for making a cloth diaper doubler (stuffer) insert for nighttime - extended wear. We have a sewing machine but little experience.

The interesting part is this isn't just for myself - I am thinking of holding a real "Build-an-Adult-Diaper" Workshop for the activity after one of this year's NJ Littles Munches and several of the members have expressed serious interest in this subject, myself included. I find its nice to have cloth diapers around in case you run out of funds for disposables, and their great for reverse potty-training/ diaper training too) Others prefer cloth to begin with. In any case, the topic here is making cloth diapers that are good - to - high quality, not anyting else.

I had a nice contoured diaper (long since purged in the '90s) and currently have a nice pull-up diaper but its too damn pillowy for daytime use. I'm thinking about each member making a few of their own in a one-hour workshop so this likely would not be enough time to make anything very fancy - the idea is for people to learn how to make one and take this basic skill home with them to work on. So I'm looking for some simple but nice patterns that are fun to actually wear and use.

I'm looking for quality advice from those who have had experience in making these. You know who you are. This is not a good thread for the peanut gallery - please post newbie quips and negative thinking elsewhere. Thanks!

Hi Glen DL,

Since you want to make adult cloth diapers, it is a fine start that you already own a sewing machine. Unfortunately you have little experience, I assume sewing on that machine, which will make this more difficult.

First of all, there are many on-line groups about cloth diapering. Just remember those are about infant diapers and they are seldom ABDL friendly. Those groups get way into sewing and sources of raw materials.

You will find that diaper gauze and Birdseye are difficult to purchase in less that wholesale quantities. Although those are the fabrics I prefer, they are the most difficult to sew. With those the only way to finish the edges to prevent unraveling is to selve the edges with a multi-needle over-lock stitch. In a factory that is done with an over-lock machine, but a smaller similar machine called a serger is sold for home use. Please understand that it takes training and experience to adjust and maintain sergers. Gauze requires the most difficult adjustments. Those fabrics also are seldom used for contour diapers because cutting them except in straight lines with or across the grain is really difficult.

Cotton flannel is easy to buy and sew into contour diapers.

Gerber pre-folds use a non-woven synthetic "sponge" as the soaker. The best known diaper sponge is Kodafil, which also is hard to buy except in wholesale quantities.

Most dealers in home sewing equipment and supplies have classes available, sometimes for free. Be sure to take serger classes before buying one, because that way you will learn the differences in brands and models. Even fleece and flannel need a serged selvage to last a long time.

Your project sound so exciting. Good luck with it.

[TheMagicDragon]

Thank you so much, Angela. My interest is even more peaked now. I'm thinking about your advice regarding classes and will have to check out the serge machines again. I'm wanting to find sources for material now. I've not yet tried gauze and have read past posts regarding the joys of guaze and also birdseye cloth. I'd never even heard of the spongy 'Kodafil'. Thats so cool!

I once heard about some type of paper-like liner sheets one can put inside which allow one to remove BMs and which protect the cloth diaper from the actual mess. Does anyone know about this? I suppose it would protect expensive disposables too, so that one can poop earlier on while wearing a dipaer which would absorb urine for up to 10 to 12 hours otherwise. Why take it off early when you can just untape it, dispose of the liner with feces and retape the diaper to allow wetting?

Will keep everyone informed.

[Angela Bauer]

Thank you so much, Angela. My interest is even more peaked now. I'm thinking about your advice regarding classes and will have to check out the serge machines again. I'm wanting to find sources for material now. I've not yet tried gauze and have read past posts regarding the joys of guaze and also birdseye cloth. I'd never even heard of the spongy 'Kodafil'. Thats so cool!

I once heard about some type of paper-like liner sheets one can put inside which allow one to remove BMs and which protect the cloth diaper from the actual mess. Does anyone know about this? I suppose it would protect expensive disposables too, so that one can poop earlier on while wearing a dipaer which would absorb urine for up to 10 to 12 hours otherwise. Why take it off early when you can just untape it, dispose of the liner with feces and retape the diaper to allow wetting?

Will keep everyone informed.

When I was growing up starting in 1964 hardly any disposable diapers were available. Back then Granny and Mom tell me supermarkets sold disposable paper liners. I think those are what you want. I was older while my 3 youngest siblings were still not toilet trained. I remember boxes of those liners being kept near the changing table. However once everyone outside our family had started using only baby disposables, I never again saw the paper liners. In the late 1970s across the street from us Aunt Betsy's babies were still diapered. Although I was not their babysitter I was over there a lot. Betsy sometimes remarked she wish she could by paper liners.

Aunt Betsy's solution was to sort her supply of Curity gauze diapers. Any that were so worn in the places where they got pinned as to be useless, Betsy would cut in half. She would serge the open side after folding the cut piece. This would make a cylinder. The other ends were factory selved. By leaving them open those pieces of gauze were easier to wash. When Betsy expected a baby to poop a particular diaper she would place one of the home-made liners inside a diaper before she pinned it. Nearly always it was the liner that caught the bulk of the mess. If it was ruined, no loss because the gauze was already surplus.

My experience even when an older kid sometimes wearing gauze diapers just in case was that when diapered I tended to become constipated. Once I was an adult and urinary incontinent I still need to use stool softener to ensure I do not get constipated.

Ages ago my youngest sister Missy, the costume designer, bought an industrial multi-needle over-lock. She kept that adjusted for gauze mostly because Missy uses so much gauze for shirts, tops and skirts. That is a more open loose weave than diaper gauze or Birdseye. Although way back I was an ideal fit in DPF Baby Heaven prefolds. Missy was between sizes. She found one costume fabric dealer in Los Angeles with a supply of diaper gauze and Kodafil. Missy bought a serger and adjusted it for diaper gauze. Our Mom did the actual sewing of those diapers using the serger and an industrial zig-zag sewing machine. Missy and Mom found making those diapers so time consuming they stopped doing that once ADC started selling already made Birdseye and gauze diapers. All of us use ordinary Gerber Birdseye baby prefolds as soakers. Those cost between USA$10-12 a dozen, way less than the raw material would cost us.

To get around scrubbing poop out of my own gauze diapers, when I am feeling sick I switch to Attends Youth, which fit me. Those are poly-plastic with sticky tapes and decent leg guards which are very good at containing runny poop until I can change and clean myself.

[Bettypooh]

My limited diaper sewing experience is probably the ideal starting place for new home diaper makers I buy pre-made birdseye diaper squares and use terrycloth toweling for the center soaker The diaper squares already have finished edges but the way I do it that doesn't matter- unfinished edges will work just as well. I start by folding the soaker to the width and thickness I want, then sewing it on each side to one square. If it's too long I line up one end, then cut the other after it's sewn in. Now I take the other square and sew it around the edges opposite the soaker side, that is square against square with the soaker visible Start this stitching at one corner and stop about two inches from where you started. Now you work the opposite corner towards this hole inside out, pushing with a wooden spoon or ruler. This will turn the soaker part to the inside as it turns everything inside out Hand sew the corner shut the same as the first outer stitch, turning the fabric as you go. Now sew around the outside a couple more times making sure to catch the soaker as you go around.

Presto You now have a nice prefold diaper for about six or seven bucks

By adding more layers of squares and layers of terrycloth you just made a night-weight diaper. If you like the soaker stiff a few runs of stitches through it's length will help keep it's shape, though this does reduce the ability to absorb rapidly- not by much though. All of this is done with a regular sewing machine using a straight stitch By turning things inside-out you create a smooth finished edge without a serger. The only problem you may encounter is with your thread tension as you cross the soaker. Slowing down here seems to help.

To determine the size of square you need use a towel or small blanket folded to different sizes and check how it fits pinned on. When it's right you know the dimensions you want.

Cheap, easy, and as good as anything you can buy made of similar materials. To me that spells success My next effort is going to be a contour diaper based on a similar technique then maybe a pocket diaper. That may be awhile but I'll let everyone know how that goes then.

Bettypooh

[babyvr6]

My advice? Buy them. Making them seems to be a lesson in futility, since it costs nearly as much as if you were buy some. Once you factor in your time, you really haven't saved any money. Unless your time is worth nothing, or you just want a new hobby, making them isn't worth it.

But this is my own suggestion, do as you please.

[aquapants]

Go to DD home page ,Scroll down to Reviews, Down to Reusable Products, Have a look at Roys Own.

[bedwetter73]

I sew my own. True it's not saving me any money, but I know I have exactly what I wanted. I use terry (cheap) and fold a nice 4-6 layer pad out to be sewn to the backing of a pretty flannel sheet. Flannel is cheap and its tough! I then make two layers of Birdseye cloth to sew to the back of the diaper. It takes practice but you can make great diapers this way. Flannel on the outside is tough, terry as a soaker and then Birdseye up against my skin. They dry well and last quite a long time, years even. The trick is to sew the two sides together, inside out, and then pull in all back threw a small slit, usually the soaker pad area, to the right side out. It makes the diaper look great, since the threads are all inside, and it makes it stronger. The slit up top I usually leave a bit of extra material there and fold it together and sew straight across to keep it all inside.

It takes time and practice but I LOVE my diapers and making them lets me feel a more personal relationship to them.

Oh yeah, search google videos for advice on sewing baby diapers. just follow their lead and imagine that it's adult sized. For the sizes, just use a good adult disp diaper. Pin it fully open and flat to the work space, they make a great pattern.

[babylin]

I am looking for good advice, not comments, on fabricating one's own adult cloth diapers. I seek advice for best choices of fabrics (gauze vs. fleece, etc.), patterns (pre-fold, contoured (velcro/ pinned0 and pull-up type) for daytime and also night time, and any tips you may have.

I am thinking of holding a real "Build-an-Adult-Diaper" Workshop for the activity after one of this year's NJ Littles Munches In any case, the topic here is making cloth diapers that are good - to - high quality, not anyting else.

I'm looking for quality advice from those who have had experience in making these.

In the beginning ALL diapers were flat cloth. To save mom time, someone invented a pre-fold. Things have changed greatly.

I suggest doing as I did. Obtain two 42x42 flannel squares of cloth. Lay one out flat on the bed. layer onto this a folded half yard (18x36) of "Zorb" fabric. Now cover with second flannel square. Sit down in the middle of it. Fold it to fit. Pin it on tightly. Cover with plastic pants. Experience a soak proof diaper! Zorb is woven hemp and bamboo fibers, and others, and absorbs 10x more than same size of cotton. Now if you really like this, then sew it together to make a pre-fold. I didn't because it's an easy diaper to make and it launders and dries quickly as parts.

HAPPINESS IS WEARING COTTON DIAPERS

[abypk82]

I am looking for good advice, not comments, on fabricating one's own adult cloth diapers. I seek advice for best choices of fabrics (gauze vs. fleece, etc.), patterns (pre-fold, contoured (velcro/ pinned0 and pull-up type) for daytime and also night time, and any tips you may have. Also wold like a pattern for making a cloth diaper doubler (stuffer) insert for nighttime - extended wear. We have a sewing machine but little experience.

The interesting part is this isn't just for myself - I am thinking of holding a real "Build-an-Adult-Diaper" Workshop for the activity after one of this year's NJ Littles Munches and several of the members have expressed serious interest in this subject, myself included. I find its nice to have cloth diapers around in case you run out of funds for disposables, and their great for reverse potty-training/ diaper training too) Others prefer cloth to begin with. In any case, the topic here is making cloth diapers that are good - to - high quality, not anyting else.

I had a nice contoured diaper (long since purged in the '90s) and currently have a nice pull-up diaper but its too damn pillowy for daytime use. I'm thinking about each member making a few of their own in a one-hour workshop so this likely would not be enough time to make anything very fancy - the idea is for people to learn how to make one and take this basic skill home with them to work on. So I'm looking for some simple but nice patterns that are fun to actually wear and use.

I'm looking for quality advice from those who have had experience in making these. You know who you are. This is not a good thread for the peanut gallery - please post newbie quips and negative thinking elsewhere. Thanks!

I don't know if this is exactly what you want but its a free pattern thats easy to sew and experiment with you'll need new measurements for it though

quick diaper pattern

its a place to start, I'm trying to learn and new skill and make my own diapers too

I thought I may add a few more links that might be a place to start for more research on fabrics, and ideas

Fabrics used and what to use them for

A place to buy these fabrics at a decent price

Edited February 12, 2010 by abypk82

[Honu]

Sorry I'm late getting to this thread, but it is near to me as I've considered that sewing my own diapers would be the only way to get good quality, new style cloth diapers. In the last year and a half, I've taken a sewing lesson out in town, bought a serger (less than $400) and tried making my own design. It was not sucessful so I have tried buying adult cloth diapers on the internet. The elastics on the Snap-EZ4-Life failed in a couple of months and didn't seal well. I sewed a KCK-One Adult size and it didn't have the capacity. It turns out that it was just a scaled up baby diaper pattern.

I've bought more online and found they all required baby pants over them. I'm still working on a design, but I haven't tried my next model yet. I do have a couple of sewing successes which I hope encourage you. First, I made my wife a "bloomer diaper" out of cotton/bamboo french terry diaper material. I used the serger on all the exposed seams and the sewing machine to make the cases for the elastics at the legs and waist. This is a great diaper solution for her because it provides the absorbancy she needs while sleeping on her side and fits under vinyl bloomers. This is not available (that I have found) online and is a great reason to learn how to sew! Second, I made her a baby doll night gown from a pattern in the early '70s. It's a juvinile style in an adult size and not available anywhere. The pattern was acquired from a Canadain company that specializes in antique patterns.

If you want something that is not available, I do suggest learning to sew which is done by sewing projects and seeking lessons. As Angela states, a serger is highly recommended for sewing absorbant diaper fabrics and that up to date advice is available on sites like "diaper divas". I suggest signing up as a female (they all are there) and don't discuss adult sized diapers at all. This is also what Angela wrote and I am confirming that.

Good luck and let me know if you want to exchange ideas for the perfect adult cloth diaper.

Honu

[Honu]

Please excuse me for posting two in a row...

I have an idea for a new adult cloth diaper design. It's basically a pocket diaper and the outer layer is PUL or ProCare. The inner layer would be a water resistant fabric like Canamist with a soaker shape cut out of the middle. This part would have the normal "stay-dry" 100% polyester fabric (like ultra-suede) patched in where the hole is.

That is my idea for a modern style Adult cloth pocket diaper. The reason for the Canamist is that most pocket diapers wick at the legs, but the shiny side of PUL is way too uncomfortable to wear all night long. It's a successful design when you can sleep through the night in it, wet as much as you need to and not have any leaks or wet spots on your sheets. The challenge is that you just can't scale up patterns for baby diapers. We have different shapes and that difference can mean leaks.

I'm all about function first, then appearance for me.

Once again, please forgive me for either reviving a topic with low interest or "hogging" this one.

Aloha!