Cloth Diaper Making Tips

[robert_dl]

Due to a massive decrease in income, and a hatred of cheap disposable diapers, I have had no choice but to sew my own cloth diapers.

Over the two diapers I created, my skills have increased dramatically, but I'd like to get some tips from those who are more experienced.

Please share your tips on cloth diaper sewing / creation here. Or links to web-pages that would be of assitance

So far I have made the following:

Diaper Mk1 - 1 old flannel sheet, 1 old towel

- cut to pattern of disposable diaper & fastened via velcro strips

Diaper Mk2 - 1 old flannel sheet, 1 old towel, 1 plastic shower curtain

- all cut to pattern of disposable diaper & fastened via velcro strips

- shower curtain layer present in diaper before the two outer sheet layers - provides good waterproofing (provided leg gathers elasticated)

Diaper Mk3 - under consideration:

- will consist of the above Mk2 materials

- elastication areas will include, legs, back & front

- waterproofed shower curtain layer, will be outer most layer (providing a cute pattern can be found!)

- possibility of allowing for extra soaker pad insertion ?

[Bettypooh]

I'd stay away from the "All In One" (AIO) concept of an integral cover, as the plastic will be worn out long before the rest is. My own cloth diapers are pre-fold squares sewn with a terrycloth center soaker contained inside the other layers for comfort. I haven't tried making any contoured or elasticized ones yet. The only help I can give there is to say do the layout in such a way as to get the maximum use of the material you're using so you can get as many from each piece as possible

Bettypooh

[Little BabyDoll Christine]

Mine are made after what was put on me when I was 6-2/3 torhough 9-3/4 by one of the ladies whose house I stayed at as a Little Girl (see my blog entry about that) and was picked up by the others

This was not a baby diaper but one for children, mostly girls, over 5. The light version cost about $5 to make and the heavy about $7. It was a precursor to the hourglass/contour and very durable. Worn together, they go for an average of 10 hours between changes. The link to the description isw in my signature. They are the same thickness throughout with no cetner padding. this is to let the wetness get away from the body as quickly as possible. The material is the same thickness over all the diaper so the wet spreads evenly and more quickly. Center padding was not used back then, if more material was needed the rule was to double and triple diaper. Prefolds did not come out until about 1951

[BabyJune]

I order diaper flannel from an online fabric supplier. It comes 27" wide, and you can order any yardage "long." My diapers wind up being 27" wide by 34" long. I fold over the front and back ends (hem them) so that they won't unravel. The extra layers also make the pins hold better. For extra absorbency, triple-fold a diaper and place it down the center.

For waterproof pants, I make them out of polyurethane laminate (PUL). Bettypooh says to stay away from all-in-ones, but honestly, if you make an AIO out of polyurethane laminate, it will hold up. Although I haven't made any AIOs, I know how durable PUL is. I would post pictures, but every time I try, this site says I've used up my "global limit." I'll have to try creating a photo gallery, but for now, no matter how much I try to shrink the pictures, DD won't take them.