A Day of Cloth Diapering: Oscar Edition

I ran across this idea yesterday, and thought it would be fun to show a day in the life of a cloth diapered kid. Right now, Oscar is 26 months and a little under 35 pounds, and this is what he wears nowadays.

We start off the morning with a Bumgenius 4.0 pocket stuffed with a Joey-Bunz hemp insert. I loooooove me some hemp because it absorbs a ridiculous amount of liquid! They are pretty much the only insert I use in Oscar's diapers these days.

Today was sheet-washing day, so the mattress is bare!

Next up, we have a fitted that I made out of an old T-shirt a while back. Oscar has super delicate angel skin that breaks out into a rash if you just look at it wrong, so I like to keep him either in a stay-dry pocket, a coverless fitted so I can change immediately after he pees, or butt naked.





Training pants that I made from fleece over some Gerber training pants. Alas, I'm afraid that Oscar is a ways off from potty training, but I like to get him used to the idea of pulling his pants up and down.

I just love that chubby little hand.

 

Here, we have a Knickernappies Custom Fit large. These are far and away my favorite diaper-- I have six of them for Oscar, the most of any single type of diaper in our crazy eclectic stash. Surprisingly, this was the only one he wore today, but that is mainly because I like to save these for going out, and we were homebodies today.

Right before naptime, I changed Oscar into a Thirsties Duo pocket, stuffed with the original microfiber/hemp insert. I've never really understood all the fuss about having a super-absorbent naptime diaper, so I just grab any old diaper and slap it on for naps.

The very tired boy.

 After he woke up, he got another Bumgenius 4.0.

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For the late afternoon/early evening, he went bare butt-- all that remains of our failed EC experiment. I like to give him some naked time every day because it helps keep any rashiness at bay, and EC isn't a total failure if he still has diaper-free time every day, right? Right??

*******

The next diaper was a Mother-Ease one-size fitted. Whenever I think about the babies that Mother-Ease fitted these diapers to, I imagine Barbie babies with matchstick waists. I can't even get both snaps on both sides to snap around Allen, let alone Oscar, so my toddler has to wear it with just the very outer snap attached on either side.

 

Finally, bedtime. For bedtimes, I stuff a pocket with a Thirsties hemp duo prefold, and that does the trick for night-long absorbency. This Tiny Tush diaper is one of Oscar's favorites, because of all the " 'tars".

I forgot to get a picture of Oscar wearing it because I was most eager to put that boy to bed!

I'm hoping to do the same thing for Allen tomorrow, so stay tuned!

Woolly-Headed!

A few weeks ago, I got really ambitious. I was going to knit! Wool longies! On circular needles! So I jumped online and found this free longies pattern on Ravelry, which seemed to be basic enough for a knitting newbie like myself. I liked this pattern immediately because you calculate your own pattern from formulas provided, so instead of specially buying needles to suit the pattern, you make the pattern to fit the materials you have on-hand. You also make it based off your baby's measurements, so if your kid has a tiny waist or super long legs, you'll supposedly still get a perfect fit.

It sounds great, but how did they really turn out? You tell me:

You can see the preliminary swatch on the right.
For this pattern, making a swatch is absolutely vital!

The legs are little long, but the seat fits like a glove!

And then Oscar started doing an Abercrombie model pose.
I just about died.

Since I wasn't sure how these would turn out, I just bought some cheapie wool from the craft store down the road. It's not the greatest, but good for a trial run. Next time I'll invest in something a little softer and better quality. Why wool, you ask? Wool is a marvelous natural fiber that keeps the wearer warm in winter and cool in summer. It wicks moisture, and when lanolized, converts moisture into salt crystals, making this ideal as a diaper cover. Just throw it on over a fitted (like my fitted diaper cover pattern!), and you're good to go. I sewed a wool soaker from an old sweater a few months ago, and the wool/fitted combination held up to Oscar's 12-hour nights with nary a leak.

And now... I'm working on a second pair. This one is actually for Oscar's second cousin, and it's made out of some rich, soft alpaca yarn. Can't wait to see how they turn out!

Time To Go Shopping!

Our tax refund finally came in. HALLELUJAH, and not a minute too soon. These have been the three leanest months of my life! Since Baby D finally started earning his keep around here by getting us a nice tax deduction, I thought it would only be fair to buy him some new diapers. :-D I'm really excited because this is the first time I can stop asking, "What can I get for the absolute cheapest?" and ask instead, "What do I want?" I'm going to stick with my homemade fitteds at home, but we need some additional babysitter-friendly and super-portable diapers, as well.

So here's what I'm putting in my virtual cart!

Yes, I'm getting the cow one!
So cute!

Another Best Bottom cover and various inserts. This will be my out-and about diaper system. Since the covers are reusable as long as they don't get soiled, and the hemp inserts are super thin (like, disposable thin), these are great for the diaper bag.


One bumGenius 4.0. I don't think I will ever feel like I have had the complete cloth diaper experience until I get a bumGenius! This diaper came recommended to me by Maria at Fitteds, Pockets, and Snappis, Oh My! Maria is simply a diaper goddess, and she was SO helpful when I emailed her with questions. Baby D is large and chubby, and he has a high rise to boot, so I've had issues with him looking like a little plumber, if you know what I mean. ;-) According to Maria, this diaper has a nice, high, rise, as does the next one...


A Thirsties Duo Diaper! Size 2 is supposed to fit up to 40 pounds, so Baby D might be able to wear it for, oh, a couple weeks. :-P In my experience, Thirsties runs a bit small, so I doubt he'll make it 40 pounds in this. I loved the Duo Wraps he used as a newborn-- with the additional leg gussets, I had ZERO blowouts or leaks (actually, we've only had a couple poop leaks EVER, and that's been recently because the gDiapers are too small for him now), so I have high hopes for this diaper.

Here it is in Blueberry.
Am I the only one who thinks
 that naming diapers after food
items is kind of gross?

One Tots Bots Easy Fit AIO. I'm really intrigued by the design on this all-in-one- an attached soaker that you stuff inside the diaper- and I've always wanted to experience the renowned softness of a bamboo diaper. Plus, Tots Bots gets rave reviews everywhere-- it was even declared "Best Overall Diaper" at Babble.com. Of course, the print I want is the ONE print not offered at the website I'm buying from. Oh well, all the more excuse to get another later, right?

Two Knickernappies Super-Do Inserts. Baby D is sleeping longer at night, and that means a sopping wet diaper in the morning. I've been double-stuffing, but it makes his diapers fit funny and more prone to letting moisture escape. Maria suggested I try one of these inserts-- with two layers of microfiber and six layers of hemp terry, this thing is more absorbent than double-stuffing with less bulk. I hope it works!


I'm buying from the company that gave away my Best Bottom diaper (everythingbirth.com) for a few reasons: their customer service was awesome with my questions and special requests; every purchase earns you loyalty points towards free merchandise; and they also sell birth pools and midwifery supplies, and I like supporting that sort of thing. :-D I actually have an affiliate account now, so if you ever decide to buy from them, click first on that little button on my left sidebar, and you'll be supporting me, too. :-)

Sorry if I bored you to tears with this post! I promise this is the last diaper post for a while. I'm just really excited to finally get some of the diapers I want, and thought I'd share it with you. :-P Has anyone tried any of these products yet? What did you think? Is there anything else you've really got your eye on?

My Fitted Diaper Giveaway! *CLOSED*

I recently published a tutorial for sewing your very own fitted diapers. Boy, was that tutorial a long time in coming! Broken cameras, dead computers, teething babies, and packing a house definitely interfered with that whale of a post!

So, to celebrate, I thought I'd give away the cute little diaper I made in the tutorial.

But, wait! There's more!

In the earlier days of my diaper-making, I sewed several before I hit upon the idea of making Snappi grips. One of them has been sitting around, patiently waiting for some little girl to wear it.

Since this one doesn't have Snappi grips, you will need to fasten it with pins. Oh, you could wrestle a Snappi on it-- but I've already torn one good shirt on a Snappi that came loose from a diaper without grips, so winner beware.


One winner will receive these two fitted diapers! Made from flannel with a terrycoth soaker sewn into the lining, these are great for EC or for going coverless. The top is left open, so you can stuff it inside itself to accommodate smaller babies, or even add an insert if you need to.

To the moms of boys, I am so sorry to make this a girl's diaper giveaway. As a mom of a boy myself, I hate how horribly unfair it is that all the cute stuff is for girls! Maybe sometime, I will get some boy diapers on here. But know that I feel your pain. :-P

So how can you win these lovelies?

Play the little Mad Libs game I created (also found in the tabs at the top of the blog), and copy and paste your results into a comment on this page. And that will be your entry. Sorry the Mad Libs format is so ghetto, but you definitely get what you pay for (in this case, I paid nothing :-P).


Giveaway ends Saturday, March 19, 2011 at 11:59 P.M. CST. Winner will be drawn via random.org and posted on this blog as well as emailed. Please leave a valid email address so I can contact you if you win! (of course, you can always subscribe to me, as well-- I won't complain! :-D)

Fitted Multi-size Diaper with Pocket-- a Tutorial

It's finally here!!!

This is a tutorial for a multi-size fitted diaper with the top left open, so you can stuff it inside itself to adjust the rise for smaller babies.

I LOVE this fabric!

A few notes:

• I call this "multi-size" instead of one-size, because I'm not sure how small it fits. I started making these for my son when he was 19 pounds, so I'd love to hear how this works for smaller babes!
• This diaper is not waterproof, so you will need a separate cover to make it so. However, if you like to go coverless around the house or practice EC, this diaper is fabulous all by itself!
• I don't know how this works for heavy wetters or over the course of many hours, because I like to change my son just as soon as he gets wet. But, the nice thing is that you can stuff this diaper with an extra insert if you need to!
• You may also have to experiment with the placement and size of the Snappi grips to accommodate your individual baby.

What you need:

-Flannel (at least 3/4 of a yard in length). If you want different prints for the inside and outside, you will need at least 3/4 yard of each.
-An old bath towel (the more plush and absorbent, the better!)
-Elastic (I like to use 1/4"-thick for the legs, and 1/2" for the back waist, but 1/4" all around will work just fine)
-Paper grocery bag for making the pattern
-Safety pin (not pictured, whoops!)
-Optional: a washcloth to use as a Snappi grip (I use the cheapy Wal-Mart ones). Unfortunately, flannel isn't that great at holding a Snappi, so unless you plan on using pins, you'll want to add this.


STEP 1: MAKE THE PATTERN

You can trace a diaper you already have, or find a pattern on the web. I used this pattern from this tutorial for a starting point, and tweaked it. I added 1/2 inch to the top for wider tabs (3" instead of 2.5"), and at the other end, I made the diaper stop tapering 3" from the top, for easier stuffing.

If you use the pattern I used, it's helpful to make the piece from a paper grocery bag. For a symmetrical piece, I recommend folding the paper in half, and measuring/tracing/cutting half of the pattern on the fold.



STEP 2: CUT YOUR PIECES OUT

From the outer flannel print:
-One diaper piece from pattern

From the inner flannel print:
-One diaper piece from pattern

After you cut a diaper piece, you should have a small piece of fabric left over like this:

Save it, because you will need to use it later.



From the terry cloth:
-One 13" x 4" piece (I like to round the corners a bit, but you can just leave it square if you'd like)

From the washcloth, if you want Snappi grips:
One 5" x 2.5" piece
Two 3" x 2.5" pieces
I like to cut the corners on these to make folding easier.

STEP 2.5: MAKE THE SNAPPI FRONT
If you are going to attach some terry cloth for Snappi grips, now's the time to attach the front piece! I'm still figuring out the best size and placement, but here's what I have so far. Take your 5" x 2.5" piece, fold each side under 1/2 inch (If you want to make it easier, you can sew those edges down before pinning to the diaper front), and fasten to your outer diaper piece-- about 4 inches down from the front top, down the center.

With a straight stitch, sew 1/4 inch from the edge. Then, using a zigzag stitch, sew right on the edge.

STEP 3: ATTACH THE SOAKER

Pin the your 14" x 4" towel piece to the wrong side of your diaper inner piece. I like to position it about 4 inches from the front top so I can stuff the finished diaper further into itself. Using a straight stitch, sew 1/4 inch from the edge, with the presser foot as your guide.

Remember that scrap of fabric you saved? Pull that out and lay it over the soaker, covering it as best as you can. (Ideally, you want to use the scrap from whichever flannel print is lightest, but for the sake of instruction, I am using the ladybug print, wrong side up, so you can see better). Using your sense of touch as a guide, pin the flannel to the terry cloth, making an outline of the soaker.

Here, the pins are outlining one end of the soaker

Turn the diaper inner over, so that the right side faces you. Using a zigzig stitch, and using the presser foot as a guide, sew along the outside of the straight stitch you just made.

Being careful not to cut the diaper inner, trim the excess fabric off the soaker.

STEP 4: MAKE LEG CASINGS

Some diaper tutorials instruct you to sew the elastic directly to the diaper. I've tried this before, and it compromises the elastic's stretchiness big-time! It also makes replacing the elastic next to impossible. So, we will be sewing leg casings instead.

Place both diaper pieces right sides together, and sew 1/2 inch seam along the back and sides, leaving the front top and tab sides open. Turn right-side-out, and press.


Starting about an inch from the diaper tab curve, sew a 5/8" seam, ending about 4 inches from the front top (where the diaper pattern straightens out). Sew another 5/8" seam along the top back, beginning and ending about 3" from the ends of the tabs.

The pins mark where to begin and end the seams.

STEP 5: INSERT ELASTIC

Attach the safety pin to one end of the elastic.

Using the safety pin as a grip, thread the elastic up through the leg casing until it's clear of the end of the casing seam.

The safety pin is up at the top, near the diaper tab

Sew across the elastic near the pin. Because I am slightly OCD, I like to make two separate seams about 1/8" apart, sewing and reversing a few times on each. That elastic ain't goin' anywhere!

Holding your new seam, pull the elastic until it's taut, but keep your diaper body straight and unpuckered. If I had another set of hands, I'd show you what I mean. :-(  Pinch the elastic at the front top, and pin into place.

Make another seam (or seams) at that end of the leg casing. Clip off the excess elastic. Hooray, you're done with one leg!

Repeat for the other leg and back.



STEP 6: FINISH

Turn the diaper inside-out again and close up the diaper tab seams.

At the diaper front top, turn under 1/4 inch and press. Turn under again (somewhere between 1/4" and 1/2") and press again. Pin into place, and stitch all around. Since I have kind of a love affair with the zigzag stitch, that's what I used, but you could just as easily use a straight stitch.

STEP 6.5: MAKE THE DIAPER TAB SNAPPI GRIPS

Take one of the 3" x 2.5" pieces of terry cloth. Fold and attach to a diaper tab, the same way you attached the front Snappi grip. You may need to play around with the placement to suit your baby, but here is where I place mine for my 20+ pound chunky baby:

Repeat for the other tab.


Congratulations, you made a fitted diaper!

I love the nice, deep, poo-catching pocket it forms inside. I have never had one of these diapers leak yet!

To shorten the rise, you can stuff it inside itself...

And it will fit a smaller baby!

******

So, what gives? I have a baby boy, and yet this diaper is clearly for a girl! Well, I don't want to giveaway any answers, but you will want to check back for a special post soon! :-D