What's the best: trim, absorbent, non-synthetic, non-hemp diaper material

[happeeevraftr]

And how many layers...?
This question is for all of you knowledgeable ladies who have tried and tested so many different things and you know what you're talking about (whereas I know nothing about anything).

I don't want hemp because of stink issues I've had. I'd like to use all natural materials, but it doesn't have to be organic. I know basically that things like flannel and birdseye are really trim, but you need more layers, and things like sherpa are thick but you can use fewer layers. But what I don't know is, to get the same amount of absorbency, which would be the trimmer option? So, say 8 layers of birdseye is equal to 3 layers of sherpa in absorbency. (Is it? I have no idea.) Which of the two would be thinner? The 8 layers of birdseye or 3 layers of sherpa? I wish I had all these fabrics at my fingertips so I could just test it out to see!

I'm going to be making mini diapers --contoured diapers with elastic in the leg openings, but no closures (they will just lay in a wool cover). I want to make these quick drying, so, for example, if I use something thick like sherpa or velour, I would probably do 2 layers in the big part and then however many extra layers in the smaller, skinnier part I would need to make it as absorbent as a diaper needs to be.
But I'm going to sew the small, skinny part to the larger part only at top, so that it will dry faster. I'm thinking if I need 4 or more layers in the small part, I will only sew two layers together at a time, and then sew them all together at the top only, so they will dry fast and get clean easily.

So tell me:

What material would you use? (Please be specific, as I don't know anything. So, instead of saying sherpa, say sherpa knit terry or whatever particular kind of sherpa it is.)

How many layers in the body/big part of the mini-diaper?

How many layers in the soaker pad/skinny part?


As an aside, I've noticed that a lot of these fabrics like velour and sherpa have a little bit of polyester in them, for durability, they say. But doesn't that effect how absorbent they are, since polyester isn't absorbent? And I have seen some 100% cotton of these materials, but does that mean they won't be durable and will fall apart after mulitple washings?

Thank you!

[boscopup]

I vote for velour. I've only used the 80/20 velour, and it is very absorbant, while still being trim. It won't be as absorbant as hemp though. I had stink problems with hemp until I started adding a little bit of bleach on occasion. I think my water just doesn't have much chlorine in it.

Anyway... layers of velour... I know one WAHM AI2 I have uses a 2-layer velour tri-fold soaker. It's amazing what that thing holds before wicking onto the outer print (and really, the wicking mostly occurs because it's side-snapping, so you have the cotton covered tabs right there where a boy pees!). And it's a short soaker for the diaper (I prefer my soakers longer).

So probably # layers would be similar to the # layers for hemp or sherpa. Part of it will depend on how heavy a wetter you have.

[JLav]

I love sherpa, it's so soft and really absorbant. I made a bunch of mini diapers from sherpa with sherpa/hemp soakers and they are really trim and super soft. I've only had one episode of stinkies with my hemp diapers and I found that I just had to be sure to do a cold rinse with baking soda before the wash and a warm rinse with vinegar after. Hemp can really hang on to the suds, so I sometimes have to rinse more than once.
Back to your question. I used 3 body layers of sherpa, with 2 soaker layers of sherpa internal. Then a external booster soaker with 2 layers of sherpa with a layer of hemp fleece (I think I only used one).
Also, with the 100% cotton fabrics, I haven't noticed a big difference in them falling apart before anything else. I have flannel diapers that I've been using for a year and a half and though they are faded they don't have any holes and still work great!
Oh, burley knit terry is also really great, it's thick but you don't have to use very much. It also helps if you 'quilt' over your internal soaker, helps it not be so puffy.

[radish]

I vote sherpa or OC fleece. I think 100% cotton sherpa, esp organic heavyweights, are more absorbant than hemp. and soft and squishy!!

[vanilla]

I think cotton fleece is more absorbent than sherpa. I've used organic cotton, and it tops the list IMO. It's almost as absorbent as hemp. If you were using cotton fleece, I would do two or three layers in the big part, three or more in the little part...but that would be me, I don't know how much absorbency you would need. If you're using cotton jersey, you could easily double that. I don't like to use jersey as it's so stretchy I find it hard to sew, and then you cut out endless layers. In my experience, velour isn't real absorbent....but Organic cotton velour is much more absorbent, though expensive. Sherpa's nice, but really fluffy and tends to get stiff with use. So I'd go cotton fleece, organic if possible cause it's softer and more absorbent I think.

[Rowenta]

cotton really is what you want to look for. Sherpa, terry, and flannel are all TYPES of cotton (but can have poly in them, so look out). A good towel type material (terry cloth) works great for inner soakers. Knit (like what a tshirt is made of) works great for the outer layer and next to baby. But really any type of cotton works great. I am not a total fan of flannel (still cotton) but it is a more economical way to go.

[lovemygirl]

My vote is for sherpa/aka cotton fleece because I used it for many years in my dipes in my old cd biz and it was successful, absorbent and trim. 2 layers body and 3 layers soaker. the poly is added to the BACK of most of the sherpa/cotton fleece to give it stretch. IMO it doesn't affect its absorbency at least w/ the stuf I used. HTH

[mehndi mama]

Old t-shirts. I'd make the mini-dipe pockket-style, or sew a foldable soaker to the back. 4 layers total in the contour piece, and 4 layers in the trifold soaker so you'd have 12 layers total in the soaker.

The cotton jersey is thin, trim, easy to come by, cheap if you recycle old clothes, and works as well as hemp, IME.