intro from a newbie cloth diaperer

RoxyV111582

Hello ladies! my name is Roxanna, i live in florida but originally from NY. I have the sweetest 7 month old baby boy and i am ready to switch to cloth diapers. i've been doing a lot of research and watching tons of videos, i don't personally know any cloth diaperers but i'd love to get to know all of you and learn. i've actually bought one diaper so far, a BumGenius 4.0 i know that one should get a couple to try out but i actually am going to be making my own. my mom is a professional seamstress (over 50 years sewing) and i will be coming up with a pattern. so i know at first it'll be trial and error.

Any tips that you ladies would recommend, i also plan on making my own inserts, what fabric combos and thicknesses have you ladies used? i've seen fabrics at diapersewingsupplies.com and JoAnn's (tho joann's prices are higher then DSS) where do you ladies get your supplies?

thank you in advance for any tips and hopefully i can join in the fun!!

Into+the+Kitty

There's a guide to inserts in the FAQs.

ElleBeeDub

Hi I've ordered hemp, bamboo, and PUL from Kids in the Garden. Personally, I'm a fan of bamboo and hemp (often combined with cotton to aid quick absorbency). I don't like microfiber as much, but it really depends on personal preference. One other thing to note... make sure you use only synthetic threads as cotton will wick. Oh, and I'm fairly certain a ballpoint needle is best for sewing PUL.

Kelly11235

Honestly, I'd consider using flats for inserts, particularly since you live in Florida and may need to handwash the diapers when/if you lose power due to a hurricane.

Also, flats are awesome, and you probably could make your own if you really wanted to.

RoxyV111582

Thanks ladies for all the tips! @Kelly11235‌ that is true, we live in the tampa area, so we don't get hit so much with the Hurricanes but get a lot of rain, and of course some power outages.

countrycotton

I think before investing a lot of time and money in making the diapers, I would buy a few different kinds to try out. If you make a ton of pockets you may not end up liking them. I think buying 5or 6 different brands/types of diaper to try first is a good idea, then you could use that knowledge to make your own diapers. I'm a natural fiber fan, so cotton hemp, bamboo.