Recycling (non-knit) shirts into diapers?

[favrielle]

One of my SILs is moving across country and cleared out her husband's closet. She gave me a HUGE trash bag (as in, one of the heavy-duty flex bags) full of L/XL cotton button-down shirts. After looking at them and touching them, I realized they're almost all nice and soft, and all 100% cotton, so I was wondering...could I make any recycled materials diapers out of these?? If so, what would they work best for, style-wise and/or layer-wise?

I'm not due until next summer, so I have plenty of time to build a stash, but not so much $$ to spare for it. If I could get some diapering use out of this windfall, that would be great!!! (I also have about as many, if not more, old L/XL T-shirts that she sent my way a couple months ago, and they've already been slated for diapering use. )

I have a really nice sewing machine, a so-so serger, and a LOT of hook and loop tape, if that makes any difference. I also have decent, probably around intermediate-level sewing skills.

Thanks in advance!

[mum06]

As long as SIL didn't use fabric softener, sew away my friend! Test for absorbancy before sewing by pouring water on the material. You will see then if the shirts will work...

[Michigan Mama]

I bet you could use them - I would probably do prefolds myself. Maybe fitteds, but that's a little more work. And they go through so many diapers when they are nb!

I would just "strip" the fabric by squirting a tiny bit of blue Dawn detergent in a hot wash, then rinse them multiple times on hot hot hot.

For patterns, zanyzebra has a list and here's a link of how to make prefolds: http://diaperfabric.com/sew-a-prefol...-the-real-way/

t-shirts also work well for prefolds (fitteds take longer to dry) and flannel would work well, too. But I bet you could use the other shirts as well as long as they are 100% cotton... and you get them really clean (stripped).

have fun!

[wobblykate]

Even if they're not terribly absorbent, you could use them for the outer layer of a fitted.

GL!!

[favrielle]

So, on sorting, it looks like I have about 30 all-cotton shirts in good enough condition to use for recycled diapers. The rest are too well worn, too heavy, or not entirely cotton. I still don't remember how many T-shirts I have, as they're all buried in my sewing storage in the garage, but it's at least 3 dozen, possibly as many as 5 dozen.

Looking around at the free patterns on the web, Rita's Rump Pocket seems like one of my better options. Free pattern, cheap materials (in this case, almost entirely free!) and easy enough to put together.

Would an outer layer of the cotton and 2 layers of T-shirt material work for a good RRP?

[jennifercp8]

I was going to suggest RRP as the pattern for your materials. Since you would have a hard time snappi'ing those woven shirts, a pin should work great and they will last you a while. Because it is a pocket pattern, I would make them from one layer of shirt for the outer and a layer of whatever for the inside. I don't think her pattern needs an inner layer, does it?

Happy sewing! I made a couple of RRP with sham style pockets earlier today!