material questions

[dakotablue]

ok so I want to make a couple of CD before the baby gets here. I'm still not sure which kind I will like best so I figured I'd make a couple and then go from there.

From fabric around my house what can I use? Does anyone know the ratios of cotton to polyester or what ever that would be on the tag that would help choosing fabrics. What can I use old sweatshirts for?
Is there any materials I would have around the house that I could use as an outer cover?

I totally get what to buy if I went to the store, but I don't know off hand how that translates into old clothes that i have and want to try to use first (if I mess up who cares it was free KWIM)

Thanks so so much

[fwlady]

I have done this several times when I didn't have much $$ to get new fabrics. I usually do a combo anyway, used fabrics for inners and new for outer. I have used this same concept for pads too. I think I did pads once with all used fabric.

Okay, so old towels work great for the diapers/soakers, but they can get a little scratchy so I use them on the inside, 100% cotton knit Tshirts and baby blankets, flannel sheets, PJs, and receiving blankets, and 100% cotton fleece shirts and jackets. You can use 90% too for the soaking part. Washcloths are cotton of course, and so are the auto towels. I used them a LOT for pull up soakers folded in three. Old cloth diapers, birdseye, kitchen towels, etc. are great reused on inside.

Then, for covers, 100% fleece for the water resistant outer covers; blankets, sweaters, PJs, robes, etc. 90% poly/acrylic or other water resistant fabrics would work, just NOT cotton. HTH, kymberli

[dakotablue]

amazing answer! just exactly what I needed to know Thanks so so much!!

[justmandy]

Wow, this is just what I came here for! What a great answer!

I bought flannel sheets from goodwill to make wipes and was hoping I could also make soakers-I also have a million old tshirts that I'll make into soakers as well. Thanks for the great answer, fwlady!

[fwlady]

No problem. I didn't realize I got some praises over her. THX I have actually been emptying my thrift shops PJ section; as there is lots of flannel there, and fuzzy fleece, even terry robes work great. I just read a lot of labels. Then, there is of course, the blanket sections. Knit blankets are great!!Those are the easiest to deal with. We try to keep it minimal around the house now, so I don't have a lot I can use here, per se, unless I want to replace with new. I did replace all of our towels, and cut up all the old ones. And, we don't use regular old blankets here, I only have quilts that I have made for the house, so those oldies are long gone. A friend gave us a bunch of comfortors last Xmas, and as much as I dislike comfortors (it was a nice thought, but then, I was thinking, what about all my beautiful quilts?), I have no secondary use for them either. So, we use them for pallets on the floor when we do an inside campout. They will eventually go by-bye. Take up too much space, can't wash in the washer easily enough, and not as nice as quilts.

Fabric sections in the thrift shops sometimes can be helpful too, although good fabric for diapers and quilts are hard to come by. And, the knit is usually poly, which works for clothes, but not diapes.

Sadly, our local thrift shop is mostly good for upcycling. Baby clothes are usually okay, but nothing is ever in a set. The adult clothing is okay, but kids clothing isn't much but play clothes. So, they are the greatest for getting good buys for "fabric" for diapers and pads. Our thrift shop is also SUPER cheap, and they will have a buck a bag sale twice a year or so. So, look for shops like that. Super cheap, greener, and usually to a good cause. Kymberli

[gumboot_charlie]

I have used old wool sweaters for covers. I pick our softest ones and try to felt them up a bit first. They were one of my favourite covers.