Confused about material

[Bran]

So I bought some cute cotton prints and some plan flannel to make some pocket diapers but now I am confused about if those are the right fabrics to use.

My thought was to use the cotton print for the outside of the diaper and the flannel for the inside.

I had no intention of making the soaker, I thought I could just buy those online cheap enough.

[Think of Winter]

That combination will work, you'll just have to change babe right after every wet since the flannel will hold the moisture against baby's bottom.

[Bran]

well what would be a better combination then?

[HappiLeigh]

Fleece up against baby's skin wicks the moisture a little. I use suedecloth on the inside of my pockets, which is kind of like fleece but thinner.

[Bran]

So a 100% cotton outside and a fleece or suede inside? Is that right?

Could I add a PUL layer to the inside of the cotton to make the diaper waterproof AND keep my cute little print? So the layers would be baby's butt, fleece, PUL, cotton.

[Michigan Mama]

The hard part about doing it with a hidden layer of PUL and cotton on the outside is that where the fleece and the cotton meet at the outer edge, the urine will likely wick onto the cotton, which will get baby's clothes wet. Does that make sense?

The only way I can think to do it and not get that wicking is to use a PUL binding around the edges or bind with FOE (fold over elastic). I think that would keep wicking at bay and has the added advantage of not having to do a binding, stitching (or surging) and elastic in all separate steps - the FOE takes care of it all!

Before you get started, just make sure you are using poly thread, not cotton, because cotton thread can cause wicking, too.

Maybe that's a way to keep your cute prints!

[Michigan Mama]

Oh btw, what type of fabric you want next to baby's skin is really a matter of preference. Some people like to have the synthetic wicking layer to keep rashes at bay. Some people would rather have cotton or other natural fiber next to the skin. There are no rules! Do what you prefer or make a couple of each so you can see what you like.

[Bran]

Thanks. I don't think I am too picky about fabric in that way. Just whatever works and whatever is cheap!

[Think of Winter]

Originally Posted by Bran

So a 100% cotton outside and a fleece or suede inside? Is that right?

Could I add a PUL layer to the inside of the cotton to make the diaper waterproof AND keep my cute little print? So the layers would be baby's butt, fleece, PUL, cotton.

I'd save the cute cotton prints for making clothing, myself (even more fun than making dipes, imo. Um, a lot more:.)

When my dd was tiny, my favorites were prefolds and flats with knitted covers. Then when she stopped outgrowing things so quickly, my favorites were pockets with a pul outer (I liked the regular 1 mm pul much better than the diy 'cute' pul for stretch and comfort), microfleece inner, and microfiber terry soaker (a towel or 12" square folded in thirds.) I thought microfleece was a lot comfier and wicked more consistently than the microsuede I used.

But everyone is different, and no two cd'ing mamas like exactly the same things. I wanted my dipes soft, comfy, cheap, and easy to clean.