Honeyboy Home Diaper Pattern?

[camprunner]

I am a beginning sewer. Ok so the only thing I've made was a sling about 14 months ago, but I did buy some fleece, flannel, and elastic to play with.

DH wants more AIO's. So my question is actually, how much would the materials be to make this diaper? I need to know before I order the pattern. We currently use proraps and bumkins at her daycare but DH wants some for home. I need to see if we could even afford to make these diapers.

TIA.

[AndreaBash]

Well.. if you're buying materials for a single HoneyBoy diaper at retail, you're not really saving much over buying one already made (when you factor in the cost of the pattern and the time involved). The real price break comes when you buy from co-ops and buy enough to make several of the same diaper.

I gave up sewing HBs because they were a little too expensive and time consuming for me... but you can probably do well if you are OK with having say... 5 or 6 diapers that are exactly the same. That will help you get the most out of your money.

[camprunner]

I'm not picky. DH just wants something that he can put on in one step. Most of our current diapers are very plain.

[AndreaBash]

Then you should be able to save some money by buying enough for 3-6 diapers at a time. If you already have prefolds, you can save even more by making pocket-style diapers and eliminating the need for inner absorbant layers.

[camprunner]

Yes, I am thinking about pocket style too. DH loved the fuzzi bunz we had but she has long out grown them. I was wanting the pattern though because I heard is was good for beginning sewers.

[AndreaBash]

I think that you'll find the HB pattern pretty simple once you've made a couple. It is a good general guideline. I think it's worth the money, definitely. Good luck with it.

[bigbellydreams]

At first I thought it was an outrageous amount of money to spend making them, but I read the pattern wrong. I make mine into pockets and think they cost me $4-6.00 to make. They are really time consuming though, at least for me they are. Once I use up all the fabric I bought I won't be making anymore, I thought I could only make 3 diapers out of a yard, but I get more like 5 smalls and 4 mediums, maybe even more, thats just what I know forsure, could be some larges too. I bought 5 yards of fleece, so I have a super abundant amount of fabric.

The pattern itself is really easy, I had never sewn anything other than a straight line before and was able to make a decent looking diaper the first time.

[kerc]

ditto what bigbellydreams said.

we ONLY use it to make pocket diapers (and that's all we've ever made).

make 1 or 2 of some cheaper fabric if you are worried about it.

[AdronsCatherine]

How did you make the pocket dipes? I was actually lying in bed last night trying to figure out how to do that LOL! I know about the website, but every time I go there, the images won't show up, and for whatever reason, I'm stumped. Nevermind that I've been sewing since before I started school :

TIA!

[bigbellydreams]

If you join the yahoo group there are instructions I found there with great pics. Basically all you do is, skip the soaker part and leave the top, where you turn the diaper inside out before doing the top stitching, open. I also add elastic on the inside layer. You also need to try to sew the elastic before turning and top stitching which I find difficult. Let me know if you can't find the directions on the yahoo group, I can see if the instructions I printed out have the website printed on.

[kerc]

here's what i do.

• cut it all out, construct the tabs.
• apply aplix loop to outer and make laundry tabs on inner. (note I also make a crossover tab on the regular-old tabs.
• pin right side of outer and inner together (skipping the soaker)
• pin tabs in place
• sew around the diaper, leaving a hole that my hand can fit into at the top of the back. Note, where I begin and end sewing i make sure I reinforce by backstitching a lot. that part of the diaper gets a little bit of wear.
• put on the elastic
• turn dipe rightside out
• just sew around the legs for a casing (kind of like a fuzibunz comes). i don't topstitch the entire thing. but then again i am sewing bc i want cheap pocket dipes not for looks.

one more thing i do on my more "advanced" dipes....before i sew the inner and outer together I put a piece of elastic in the back of the outer....like a fuzibunz has. I find it helps to keep the pocket closed and close to my dd's butt. How i do that is take a piece of elastic that's maybe 3 - 3.5 inches long. center it on the inside-side of the outer piece. Then I stretch the elastic and sew it onto the fabric. It isn't terribly pretty but again I have the philosophy that this thing is going on my dd's butt and i'm doing it all to avoid the hassles that accompany wrestling a 14 month old into a fitted and cover or prefold and cover.

ok as i was double-checking this all...i realized that I also now don't really make the "tabs" my more advanced dipes I drew a new pattern, adding wings to the hb home pattern so that I could eliminate making tabs.

[bigbellydreams]

Here are the instructions I use.

http://www.diapersewing.com/hbpocketinstructions.htm

[kathryn5kids]

Do you need or really want the honeyboy pattern? I mean I'm a first time sewer too and I made my diapers from severl free patterns as well as a hand drawn out pattern I got from a (disposible) diaper. I then moderated it for what I liked. I bought thrift store flannels for like $1.00 for a full sheet and then I bought some thrift store towels .50 each. I bought my swimmers elastic for like (I forgot) .59 a yard? Then I with all this materials I was able to make gosh I don't remember if it was four or five diapers. I can't remember if I would say it was time consuming because I have my 5 little one's saying, "mommy..." and I would stop in the middle of sewing, but hey if your on a strict budget or really want to save money it's worth it especially if your a stay a home mom. I mean I would sew one a night when my little ones were asleep and then by the end of the week I would have seven. As for the honeyboy pattern I don't know what they require for materials, but I'm guessing you can by the thrift store flannels and towels too, just to try the pattern out to see if it's for you ya know?

[happymommy]

It probably costs me $3-$4 per diaper, but maybe less. I buy fabric on sale at jo-ann's or hancock's. I just can't afford hemp or other nicer fabric online, and they seem to work ok. But they are a tad time consuming!

[kerc]

I will say that I might spend the $$ to have a nice soaker -- i started with old flannel sheets from the thrift store and an old knit sheet I got free, then bought a yard or so of cotton fleece or something. I'll never go back. The good stuff is totally worth it for absorbency.

and you don't REALLY have to have the HB pattern, but it is one of the best for explaining what you're doing. I would look for it used at the trading post or someplace. Come to think of it, I might sell mine, I'd have to see whether I had all the pieces still.

[camprunner]

Hey there,
thanks so much for all the replies. Actually I work and we have a wonderful daycare that is willing to use our cloth diapers. DH just wanted some AIO's to use at home. We're both teachers so not incredibly rich. I bought some cheap material on sale at Jo Ann's this weekend that I am going to try sewing into a diaper before I order the pattern. I found when I sewed dd's sling that what made the biggest difference was knowing what needles to use when. Something that I haven't a clue about. Our manual is old and maybe not as comprehensive I guess.

Thanks again.

[pageta]

Okay, so if you're making a pocket diaper, couldn't you put the pocket opening in the front so you don't have to fool with putting the elastic in the back twice? Or am I not thinking of something obvious?

[kerc]

you could, but then it would be kinda lumpy in front and the baby might fiddle with it (depending upon age of baby)....

I DON'T do the elastic twice. I just put it in the outer layer. (and let the inner microfleece layer kind of hang free).