Anyone sew their own diapers?

Lynnette171

I am planning to sew my own diapers, the patterns look pretty easy, so even though I am new to sewing, I'm confident I can do this.  

 

I have a coupon for 30% off my total purchase at Joann's that's good for next week and want to stock up on what I can there.  I know I will need the PUL fabric, my question is, what do I look for in by-the-yard fabric as far as the insides go.  I like the idea of bamboo or hemp, but do they sell that by the yard at Joann's?  

 

I have stuff like elastic, snaps, velcro, etc.  

JuliaJAG

Not yet, but I'd like to -- do you need a serger to make them or will just a regular sewing machine do? 

freezorburn

Alas, my sewing machine is in storage but I'm planning to knit a few wool soakers/diaper covers that I can lanolize just to try out if I like how they work. The newborn sizes knit up pretty quickly, so the time investment is pretty small. I just gotta get over to Joann's for some velcro and I'll be done with the first one!

flyer23

What types of diapers are you looking to sew? Since you mentioned PUL, I'm thinking pockets/AIOs?

You probably don't want to use bamboo or hemp for the inner layer of pockets or AIOs. It can increase the risk of wicking onto cloths. I usually use a stay-dry layer for the inner layer. You can get Alova suedecloth at Joann's. I also saw microfleece the last time I was there -- I can't recommend it because I haven't tried it personally, but it did look/feel just like the microfleece I've gotten online and used with great success.

You can use bamboo and hemp for the absorbent layers of pockets/AIOs. But you can't buy it at Joann's, at least not that I've seen. I always buy mine online, usually from coops because it's a lot cheaper, but I've also used www.naturesfabrics.com. Join her Yahoo! group for a 20% off discount code, which you will want, because that stuff is pricey. She also does a "yard sale" every month or so, where she sells imperfect fabric for cheaper prices -- again, join the Yahoo group to get notified. I prefer heavy bamboo fleece for pocket/AIOs soakers, but regular bamboo fleece or hemp fleece will work fine as well, you just may need to use more layers.

If you really want absorbent stuff that you can buy locally, you could get away with terrycloth from Joann's. Or cut up old towels from a thrift store -- same idea, probably cheaper. You can also use microfiber towels that you can find in the auto section of Walmart. Or if you have some time, just wait till Cotton Babies does another gently used sale with their microfiber inserts -- I got some a few months ago when it was $4 for a 4-pack with free shipping.

If you click on the "Adventures of a Rookie Sewer" link in my siggy, you can see my sewing blog where I go into a lot of detail about the types of diapers I sew, what materials I use, and where I get them from.

Gilene2011

I like sewing the Rita's Rump diaper. It's super easy and quick and you use cheap flannel to make them. You can use a diaper pin or snappi to close them. They do need a cover, but if we are staying at home I let Lo run around without one. I use a thirsties cover, but I just started crocheting wool shorts. This is the link https://withatangledskein.blogspot.com/2008/10/little-fire-crochet-pants.html?m=1. Sorry not a clicky. 

GHBEA

My Joanns does not sell, bamboo, hemp, or microfiber.  They told me they phased them out.  However some other Joanns may still sell them.

Lynnette171

Yes, I am looking at doing mostly AIO's for my diapers...DH refuses to cloth diaper unless we do AIO's, and they seem like they would just be better for us anyway.  Since I'm planning on making them myself, I'm not too worried about it.  Like I said, just trying to figure out what the best material for inside is and whether I can get it at Joann's.  If not, I'll just have to order online.  Thanks for the tips so far!

lauraandlee

Look for the Babyville line at JoAnn's.  They just introduced it recently and it has coordinating PUL, velcro, snaps, elastic, appliques and a book with patterns on how to make all sorts of cloth diapers.  They also now carry microfleece which is perfect for the lining of a pocket diaper or AIO.  (not all JoAnn's carry this, but most do.  All Hobby Lobby stores as well and you can find it online at fabric.com)

For absorbent fabrics, I like bamboo and hemp fleece, which can be found at a number of sites online, but is difficult to come by locally (nature's fabrics is great - they just eliminated the discount code mentioned above and lowered their every day prices.  Also kidsinthegarden.com, and diapersewingsupplies.com are fantastic sites with good prices.