How to make a Pocket Diaper, BG style

I'm in the process of making my own cloth diaper patterns from retail diapers that I like, both for myself and for my mom who likes to sew things for her grandkids. So, I thought, since I need to write up the instructions for my mom anyway, I'd put them here for anyone who is curious. I hope it makes sense.

Make Your Pattern (or get one from someone else)

With a lot of tracing, stretching, and measuring, you can make a pattern for any diaper you are determined to copy. Here's the one I made for this diaper.

Interior layer, pocket liner, and pocket cover all made of suedecloth (a polyester fabric similar to velvet used to wick away the moisture from the baby's bottom)

Exterior layer, tabs, and inner front strip PUL (polyurethane laminated cloth used for a waterproof layer)

PUL lining, (to stabilize the snaps on the PUL outer layer)

Then cut out the pieces.

Suedecloth inner layer, pocket lining and pocket cover.

Outer PUL, tabs, and inner front strip

PUL lining

Now to make your pocket, where the absorbent soaker will be stuffer inside the diaper.

Match up the line on the suedecloth inner layer and the pocket liner, right sides facing each other. Sew 1/4 inch above, below and to the side of the line, creating a long, 1/2 inch wide rectangle.



Cut through both layers along the line, cutting at angles inside the corners of the rectangle.



Flip the pocket liner to the wrong side of the suedecloth inner layer through the slit, secure with pins, and sew down to secure at 1/8 inch and 3/8 inch from the hole.





To make the pocket cover, hem one of the long sides 1/4 inch, then again at 3/8 inch.



Baste pocket cover over pocket hole in the suedecloth inner layer, both pieces facing up.




Finish the inner layer by sewing on the inner tabs and inner front strip, matching front sides together along edges. (Oops, I forgot to sew on the pocket cover before doing this and had to unpick).



Secure the seams by folding them open and topstitching the seam flat at 1/8 inch over seam allowance.





Now for the Outer layer.

Baste PUL linning to outer PUL layer, both facing wrong side.



Sew outer PUL tabs to Outer PUL layer, right sides facing. Fold open and top stitch down at 1/8 inch.



To place snaps on the diaper front, poke a hole through the 2 layers of PUL fabric with an awl.



Push the cap peice through the hole, lay the stud or socket piece on top, and clamp together with the pliers. If the snap has a hard time snapping together, use the pliers agin and be sure to pinch the snap all the way down.





Time to sew the inner and outer layers together. Pin them, right sides facing each other, and sew together at seam allowance, reinforcing your stitching at tab corners



Flip the diaper right side out through pocket hole. Press seams flat. Sew 3/8 inch from edge where the elastic will go to create an elastic casing. Top stitch all other seams, starting 1 inch away from elastic casing, at 1/8 inch to secure.



For elastic, turn the diaper inside out again, attach a safety pin to the end of 1/4 inch elastic, secure other end to seam allowance just outside of the casing, and work it through the casing. Pull elastic to desired length, and attach to the seam allowance just outside of casing on the opposite end from before.



Turn right side out again, and place snaps on the tabs.

Congradulations! You're done.

Patterns, Patterns Everywhere! I have the itch to sew

As if working in the basement and homeschooling aren't enough to keep me occupied, I have acquired the bug for sewing this past month, and there is little end in sight.

It started with cloth wipes. Seemingly harmless little things. Just 2 pieces of flannel sewn together.

Ah, but once I started, I couldn't stop. Soon, I was making reusable snack bags for the kids' school lunches. I combined a number of pictures and patterns I found on the internet and eventually used ripstop nylon fused to preshrunk cotton. Basically, you cut the fused materials into rectangles, sew on velcro, then sew up sides envelope style.

Next was a zippered wetbag for transporting soiled cloth diapers in the diaper bag. I also made a large one with a Velcro strap to hang in my bathroom for dirty diapers and wipes. Here is the free tutorial I used for the smaller bag, and I simply improvised for the strap on the larger bag.

After that, I had to stop due to this and that, but my creative juices couldn't stop running. Now I'm looking at making a number of other baby items, from bibs to changing pads and more. It's amazing how many different free patterns there are out there on the internet. I've also been busy making patterns of my own from designs I like. Here are some of my intended projects:

Bibs:

I found a fun bib pattern with tutorial that is similar to the ones used in Japan. Think I'll try it out. I also love the Bumkins Super Bibs, but I thought I'd like to try making my own. I've found a picture on the web and majorly enlarged it to make a pattern. We'll see how it turns out. I plan to use PUL (polyurethane laminated cloth) and some sort of biased tape.

Sleep Sacks:

Another nice thing to have for baby that can be made relatively cheap. The armless ones are pretty easy too, and there are plenty of tutorials out there, as well as patterns to choose from.

Waterproof Changing Pads:

These are used to keep your baby from soiling whatever they are being changed on, as well as keeping their bottoms off of things you's rather they weren't touching. They also work really well as night and nap time leak stoppers in the crib (so you don't have to change the sheets). Here is a good tutorial. I plan to cut a good sized piece of waterproof PUL (polyurethane laminated fabric), cut another piece of soft/absorbent fabric such as terry, flannel, or fleece the same size. I'm thinking I might bind it together with biased tape. We'll see.

Cloth Diaper Soakers/Liners:

I really like the idea of the Best Bottom diaper system, but I thought I could improve their hemp/organic cotton liners some, and for less. I'm using a soaker of each size as a pattern, but instead of the 6 layers of hemp that they use, I am planning on doing 2 layers of heavy bamboo and only 3 layers of hemp. Bamboo absorbs wetness fast and is softer, while hemp absorbs slowly, is less soft, but holds more. The bamboo, of course, will go next to the baby with the hemp behind. I figure if I sew the two cloth types together separately, then only attach them together at the top and bottom, they will be able to dry more quickly (as both take a long time to dry when there are a lot of layers).

Nursing Pads:

Since I will be washing diapers frequently anyway, I figured I might as well use cloth nursing pads. However, the ones I am interested in most, Bamboobies, cost so much! So, I thought I would take their ideas and make my own. Their regular ones are super thin, with a layer of PUL, a couple layers hemp, and a layer of bamboo velour cut and sewn together in a heart shape. I can do that! Their overnight ones are made from several layers of hemp sandwiched between bamboo fleece. Since I'll be making diaper soakers anyway, I'll already have the material on hand. Why not make them myself?

Mama Cloth:

These are cloth feminine pads. I figure why not try them out, since I'm doing cloth diapers already anyway. Using a couple free patterns I found online, I plan to make the bottom layer of PUL, inner core layers of hemp, and the top layer from bamboo velour with KAM (plastic) snaps on the wings. I figure, if I like using them, I'll make more. If not, oh well.

For now, that's enough. I'm sure I'll find more things to make as time goes on.

Oh, and if you're wondering where I'm finding all of the hemp, bamboo, and PUL, they are sold online. You can find PUL in retail stores, but it is thicker and not as soft/flexible making it better for some projects, and not as good for others. The hemp and bamboo are only found online as of yet. My favorite online stores for these materials are Kids in the Garden and Diaper Sewing Supplies.

A Whole New World

While doing research on different cloth diapers and their care, I have come across a whole new world of things that I never knew existed. Here's a short list to show what I mean:

Tea Tree Oil: It is an essential oil often used in home made baby wipes solutions. It is antiviral, antibacterial, and anti fungal, and used for treating things like nail fungus, ringworm, athletes foot, dandruff, acne, and many types of infestations including head lice, mites, and mosquitoes.

Wool Dryer Balls: Add these balls to your dryer to get faster drying, fluffier laundry. It also helps eliminate static, though not completely. They effectively do the job of dryer sheets, except they are reusable for years and don't leave any chemical residue on your clothes.

Cloth Feminine Pads: Um, pretty self explanatory. They're like cloth diapers, except for the purpose of, and shaped like, feminine hygiene products.

Eco-friendly Detergents and Cleaners: Maybe I'm just blind, but I never knew these were out there, and in such an abundance! They are made from all-natural materials such as grape seed and fruit extract, coconut and corn, and other essential oils, and according to reviews, they work just as well as synthetic cleaners.

Diaper Sprayers: I did know about these beforehand, but I still find it part of a different world. These attach to the water supply on your toilet and are used just like the sprayer in your kitchen sink. Except, of course, it sprays into your toilet. I can think of lots of things other then diapers this could be useful for, but they're all kinda gross. I'd rather not list them.

Diaper Cloths: I already knew about cotton and wool. Cotton is very absorbent, and wool is water repellent. What I didn't know was that there are cloths made from hemp and bamboo. Turns out they are thinner and even more absorbent and highly prized by the cloth diapering community then the old standbys. There is also a fabric caller PUL (polyurethane lining) that is waterproof but soft, typically used for the outside shell on diapers, and microfleece and suedcloth used to wick away the moisture.

Reusable Bags: These include sandwich bags, diaper pail liners, dirty diaper (wet) bags, and mini wet/dry bags. Makes sense for cloth diaper users. They can also be used for other things like swim gear, makeup, feminine products, wet wipes, sunscreen, lotion, towels, etc. Just launder with your diapers or other laundry.

It's quite possible that you already knew of these things and I was just obliviouse. Oh well. In either case, now we both know.

Diaper Days are Coming!

My ultrasound a couple weeks ago helped me realize I have a baby coming. Soon. Not too soon, but soon enough. And that realization jumpstarted a week + of figuring something out.

A couple years ago, while at the park with one of my friends, her little boy had his diaper changed. Exciting, I know, but it started a long conversation. You see, he was wearing a cloth diaper. And it was cute, not one of those hideous old-fassioned pre-folds with pins and plastic pants. I was interested. I've always been a bit of an environmentalist, but I also find frugality, aesthetics, and convenience important. My friend informed me that by using cloth diapers, I could actually obtain all four. Really?

Environmentally, cloth diapers are wonderful. They do not pile up in landfills, adding non-decomposing and toxic waste to the system. Instead, they get reused over and over, recycling for years, and putting the waste where it belongs (down the toilet).

Economically, it is also a winner. Over the period from birth to potty training, a typical child will go through over $2000 in disposable diapers. Seriously. Cloth diapering is much cheaper in the long run. It has it's up front costs (top diapering systems will run you close to $400), but then they are used over, and over, and over again. Those diapers are meant to last the entire 2-3 years and then some, often being passed down to younger siblings. That's even more savings!

As far as looks go, you can get some really cute cloth diapers now days. Just take a look at all the various kinds, from BumGenius, to FuzziBunz, to G Diapers, Flips, Best Bottoms. . . the list goes on and on. They aren't huge and majorly bulky like the old style cloth diapers, and some are even as trim as the current disposables.

As for convenience, there is slightly more work. You will have to do additional laundry 2-3 times a week, but is that really such a big deal? You're already going to be doing laundry for your little one and all of your other family members. Also, there are no more late night runs to the store in icy snow because you "ran out". As for putting the diaper on the baby, there isn't much more to it then disposables. For pocket diapers, you simply stuff a liner in the pocket, then snap or velcro it on. For all-in-2 (hybrid) diapers, you lay the liner in the shell, then snap or velcro it on baby. No more folding or pinning with these diapering systems. Easy. For clean up, pull the liner and cover apart, spray off pooh into the toilet with a toilet sprayer, and toss in the diaper pail to be washed later. Still pretty convenient.

So, with all of these facts and a baby looming in the horizon, I needed to decide if I was actually going try cloth diapering or not.

Lucky for me, my friend needed someone to watch her boys for almost a week, and her youngest is still in diapers. While watching them, I got to try out BumGenius, a pocket diaper, to see how I liked it. Well, I did. It was really no big deal to rinse the diapers, stuff a pocket, or put on her son. The laundering was easier then I thought (why I thought it would be any more difficult then normal laundry, I don't know). That tiny bit of extra work was way overshadowed by the economic difference, and the environmental and aesthetic ends were definitely an added boost.

In short, it looks like I'll be using cloth diapers this time around.