The Cloth Diaper Experiment *Part 1*

I have been wanting to try cloth diapers since Sis was a baby. Hubby had some preconceived notions about it, and it took me this long to talk him into letting me try it out.

To be honest the idea of cloth had always intimidated me. Not so much using them as making them. There was no way I was gonna buy them when I could make them myself and save even more money. So I started researching. To be honest I have been researching since Sis was a baby. There are so many helpful videos and blogs out there!
After doing a lot of reading and talking to a few mama's about their experiences and doing some serious thinking about what would work best for my baby girl...I decided to go with a Pocket Diaper, it is a pocket diaper that you put the absorbent pad inside. I got the pattern free online at this site.

Once I found the pattern it was time to figure out the fabric. There are so man different fabrics and opinions out there. Making cloth diapers can be a cheap or as expensive as your want. I know a gal that used this site to make them out of t shirts without sewing. I have also found ladies who make them out of the top of the line organic hand woven so expensive you can forget college kind of fabric. Plus a multitude of fabrics that fall in between.
So I sat down and ask myself what I really needed and what was important to me.

1. I was doing this to save money, so I wasn't going to go into a great deal of cash making them.

2 I wanted ease of use and did not want excess leaks.

3 I am not a fan of the huge bulky diapers...yes yes I know. That is what most cloth diapers are. But I knew there are other alternative out there.
So once I thought this through and looked at the budget I then began searching for the perfect fabrics that would work.

-I had heard a lot about Minky..some people claim it to be the wonder fabric. Amazingly soft and is supposed to wick moisture very quickly.

- Flannel...who doesn't love flannel?? It is soft and absorbs moisture

-PUL, This amazing plastic coated fabric works great as a middle layer or as an outer layer.. or even made into a cover. It isn't thick at all and does the job of many layers of micro fleece..without the bulk. Plus it comes in some of the cutest patterns I have ever seen. Polka Dots anyone??
It can be a little more expensive but if you wait for a sale or use a coupon it really isn't that bad.

-Micro Fiber Towels. OK. I know you have all seen the commercial for the Sham Wow. It is basically a micro fiber towel. Those suckers can absorb a ton. Plus you can buy them in bulk at almost any super store. Heck you can even find them at Auto Zone.

*Just as a warning, It is not wise to use micro fiber towels directly next to babes skin. It can absorb the moisture out of babies skin and cause a red rash and in some cases even cracking and bleeding.*

There are obviously more fabrics out there. These are the ones that worked with my budget and that I heard good things about.

You will also need a few other items to finish your diapers.

- 1/4 inch elastic for the back and around the legs of the diaper

- Velcro or snaps *I chose velcro, it is cheaper and goes on really quickly. I have heard some people complain that the velcro eventually looses it's sticking power. I have made sure have my velcro tabs closed while washing and drying and haven't had any issues yet. I would eventually like to try the snaps. They require snap pliers or a snap press. They can last longer than velcro..however I have a friend who uses cloth diapers with snaps and she said it is a bit of a hassle getting the diapers snapped on the baby. Velcro is quicker.

a sewing machine and thread is of course necessary.
There are so many ways to make diapers and so many patterns out there. I encourage anyone interested in cloth diapering to look around and see the options out there.

Once I gathered my supplies I got to sewing. I made 9 diapers to start. I was quite please with my products.





Then is was time to try them out....