Cloth Diaper with a wool soaker

I found a grey 100% cashmere sweater for $2 at the second hand store.  It is so luxurious and soft!  I also found a merino/angora mix black sweater for $2 and made a great cover with it as well.  I found I could make one medium cover out of just a sleeve! :) This is a huge savings since one wool cover is at least $25 to buy premade.

Today I made a "bullet proof" grey nighttime diaper cover and a regular style black cover.

 My model: 

See how cozy he is!!

 I used this pattern.  I made the legs and waist bands longer on the grey diaper so that it will be a great night time diaper.  I also did a two- layer soaker inside instead of just one.  :)

Cloth diapers Medium!!!

 Our little guy is already into medium sized diapers!!! He's growing fast! 
I like sewing and experimenting with sewing.  I like to reuse things that would be thrown out to make something useful. I like to sew them myself because I don't want to spend a lot on diapering, but do want it to be easy.
Sewing my own diapers has many benefits.  I can try different designs with no risk.  Since I spent $0 on the materials I can try a pocket liner, a snap in layer, a different shape or size with no worries.  If it doesn't work, I can throw it out with no guilt- it was trash to begin with anyway!

The new born diapers I've made work great, but I've learned that I want to change a few things.

I don't think flannel is the best material for making a diapers.  It's too rigid to get a good fit on baby.  This time I will use flannel for the absorbent part and upcycling T-shirts for the diaper.  The stretch makes it easier to get a good fit on the baby.  

My husband just got new undershirts- the old ones are being made into medium size diapers for baby! :)

Diaper construction:
Cut it out.  If you are a novice seamstress like me, I suggest squaring off the tabs in front and back so that the your sewing will look more consistant at the end.  Trying to make the curved tabs the same on both sides is difficult for beginners like myself.  
Inner:  2 layers of an ugly old T! Sew to that:  leg elastic and the soaker.  For the soaker, I used 6 layers of the T-shirt only in the front.
Outer: 1 layer nicer looking T. 
Put it together:  Put the pretty sides of the diaper together.  Sew around the edges.  Sew around the outside of the elastic. Leave an opening in the back.  Turn it right side out.  Sew around again the edges.  Leave an opening in the back where you turned it.  You've make a pocket where you can add extra absorbancy if needed.  This time sew around the inside of the elastic so that the first seam is outside of elastic and one seam is to the inside and it makes a casing for it.

I'm testing absorbency of this diaper today.  It fits great.  It's trim and soft.  If I need more absorbency, I'll add some in the pocket.

Resources:
Fitted diaper discussion.  
sized patterns
 Spreadsheet from diaper sewing 101 Baby Center page. Everything you need in one place!

Nursing pads

Are you noticing a theme?  

Yes, I'm on a major sewing and getting ready for baby kick. 

I had registered for some reusable nursing pads.  It cost $10-15 for six pads.  It made me feel bad to ask someone to buy circles of cloth for that.  So I read up on it and made some out of two old shirts, a microfiber towel scrao and some fleece scraps.  It cost me $0.50 for the scraps I had left over from other projects.

Layers- blue fleece, 4 layers of T-shirt and the light blue microfiber towel in them middle. 

 First I drew five inch circles on a pile of fabric.  Then I pinned and zigzagged around them twice.

Cut carefully

Done. The blue microfleece will wick so I'll be dry.  The other side is white. 

Cloth Diaper

I have decided to use cloth diapers with our new little guy coming in December.

I enjoy saving money, maybe more than spending it!

I like spending on experiences, vacations and family times, but I really don't like spending money on things I throw away.  Things like paper towels, expensive toilet paper, zip top bags, paper cups and plates are wonderful to have, but annoying because I'm essentially paying for something to use one time and throw away. 

As I think on the coming years of baby wonder, I don't relish the idea of spending hundreds of dollars on diapers and wipes to let baby make a mess on and then throw away.   I would so much rather work a little more to wash and save up and buy a plane ticket to see my precious family in California and Arizona.

So I began my quest of cloth diapering.  Man, there are many options!  It's not grandma's diaper and pins anymore, thankfully!

As I sorted through these piles of options, I was shocked to see how much diapering could cost.  The point of using cloth is to save money right?!

Some diapers were so expensive that I couldn't imagine spending all the money up-front to save money eventually.

So I googled and read and found that I can make my own diapers. I dusted off the old Singer and got to work. I did buy some materials, but mostly I upcycled fabric!

I bought some water proof covers for them to keep all dry and tidy.

This is a fitted diaper.  I made it out of Grandma Smith's towels.

I lined it with new fleece so that baby will feel dry! Added elastic for a better fit.

I left the pocket open so I can add a more absorbency if needed.

This funky pattern is called a Quick Flap Wrap Snap- you fold in those wings to make a soaker-

OFWS folded up.

Upcycling

That is such a nice word that means to reuse something to make something new.

Perfect idea for people who love second hand shopping, like me!

I am a no nonsense thinker and also I am a thrifty (read cheap!)

Yesterday at the thrift store, I found a big ole bag of 6.5" quilt squares. It looked like someone planned to make a T-shirt and flannel quilt and then decided to donate it to the thrift store instead.

What did I see?  Upcycled cloth wipies!

 

Today I sewed 35 double sided wipes! I just zigzaged around he edge and trimmed close to the seams.  I think the knit will wash great.  Hubby won't be using these to change baby, but I figured I could use them and save a few dimes for airfare and vacations instead.  Priorities you know!