Sewing My Own Cloth Diapers -- questions

avalovesart

Hey there, I'm new to this board, so sorry if someone recently posted anything similar!

DH and I have decided to go with cloth diapering. I work from home and can wash clothes frequently, etc.

I'm a fairly experienced seamstress, but definitely a first time mom with little baby experience. I've found a few cloth diaper patterns online and am wondering if anyone else has used these to make their own? Any changes, suggestions to the patterns you would make based on experiences with cloth diapering your baby?

Here is the diaper pattern I'm considering: https://www.ottobredesign.com/en/print/pdf/vaippa_en.pdf

And here is the diaper cover pattern: https://www.borntolove.com/frugal-column2.html

What do you gals think?

kissntell

similar post

bethandjoe09

I haven't used those, just the Darling Diapers pattern.  It was helpful for me because I'm a novice seamstress and it includes lots of directions, but if you have experience then you should be good using most patterns.  I wouldn't mess with altering patterns until your baby arrives, because diapers fit differently depending on a baby's shape (mine is skinny and has chubby thighs, so some diapers work for us that won't work for others and vice versa).

If you're planning to make covers using PUL, I have a couple of suggestions for sewing with it.  It's laminated, so it can be slick.  I've found it helpful to stitch strips of tissue paper to one side.  It can be fairly easily removed afterwards, and it helps the machine grip it for sewing.  You'll want to use ball point needles for PUL.  Also, make sure you use 100% polyester thread, because cotton can cause wicking.  And throw it in the dryer on hot, just once, after you sew it to help seal holes.

Aviee

I've made covers, AIOs and pockets by myself and the only ones that I'm happy with are the pockets and cover.  I did use PUL on all of them and did not use a ball-point needle and had no problems with that, but I also had 3 different layers of fabrics. 

One of my biggest problems with my AIOs are that they never are dry after days and days on the line (and I used a pattern similar to the one you have) and DD leaks through them like nuts.  I only use them when I'm 100% out of other CDs and don't mind getting peed on through a diaper.  I personally love just having made pocket diapers and stuffing small sized prefolds in them as soakers.  They're yet to leak, dry well and are adjustable.  

Hope you have a blast making your CDs.  I for sure did.

flyer23

I haven't used either of those. I've heard that Ottobre fits weird... I think it runs VERY large? I forget.

I've seen that bum sweater pattern and have been meaning to try it, but haven't gotten around to it. I prefer using the Katrina pattern for wool/fleece soakers. I should point out that I do NOT like pull-on covers like that for newborns/EBF babies. It's hard to get a pull-on cover onto a floppy newborn, and it's a mess to pull off a cover when EBF poo has leaked all over the inside! I also found that I didn't like wool as much when DS was a newborn. It was prone to slight compression leaking, because he was just sitting in the same place all day.

So, I used PUL wraps almost exclusively when DS was itty bitty. Once he got to 6ish months old and had more solid poop and was moving around all day and didn't want to sit still for diaper changes, I LOVED (and still love) pull-on covers like that.

Link in my siggie to my sewing blog with more details and links to the patterns I do use.

avalovesart

Thanks for the suggestions ladies! Since my original post I checked the link to the other post another lady mentioned, and got tons of ideas from other boards/blogs/websites. Yey! Who know there was such a world of homemade cloth diapers.

flyer23

avalovesart:

Thanks for the suggestions ladies! Since my original post I checked the link to the other post another lady mentioned, and got tons of ideas from other boards/blogs/websites. Yey! Who know there was such a world of homemade cloth diapers.

Yes, welcome, and be careful: It's addictive. Don't say we didn't warn you