Fabric types and uses in cloth diapers thread!

[lovebugmom]

Ok, i am new at making cd as most of you know by now. I am slowly learning which materials work which way and how much i need for soakers and such. I thought if we started a thread were we put down what we know about what material it would help. I could even copy and paste everyone's experience and knowledge, with their names of course, (i do not want credit for it) to the first post here so all of us newbies can look at it in one place to help us understand the fabrics a little before we start buying from the stores and such.

[lovebugmom]

Fabric And Uses List

FLANNEL
2 OR 3 LAYERS IN BODY (personal preference but i found 3 layers in the body of a fitted help with a heavy wetter)lovebugmom
8 layers in a soaker (i have a heavy wetting 5 month old and this seems to be the magic number for us)lovebugmom
what to look for
I've found flannel from old receiving blankets are excellent also you can get flannel for making diapers at many online stores, if you are shopping at you local stores bypass any thin flaanel you can see through.(lovebugmom)

Hemp Fleece:
soakers:2 layers in a trifold soaker (only used it for this so far and it works for my daytime heavy wetter)

Fleece
Malden Mills 200 wt or Joann's Alpine, I have use one layer of either on the outside of a fleece AIO/AI2 with one layer of microfleece on the inside and a tri-fold soaker, both types work well in my experience but i do prefer the malden mills (lovebugmom)

Microfiber towels
Make awesome soakers. However, the microfiber cannot touch baby's skin--it is very drying. (rebeccalizzie)

Stretch terry
Soft and absorbant inner(rebeccalizzie)

Velour (at least 80% cotton)
Awesome soft inner (rebeccalizzie)

[rebeccalizzie]

Can we make this a sticky? I'm still pretty new at sewing dipes too.

Heck, I'd like a sticky with *all* the usual basic questions, because I'm the one asking them half the time!

Anyway, here are my additions (at least what I've been using):

Microfiber towels Make awesome soakers. However, the microfiber cannot touch baby's skin--it is very drying.

Stretch terry Soft and absorbant inner

Velour (at least 80% cotton) Awesome soft inner

[thunderkitty]

I'm not sure if this is completely relevant, but if someone knew how much of each particular fabric they had to purchase to make a diaper in whatever specified size that seems like it would be helpful too for those of us (me : and anyone else just starting out and innocently clueless about this) could really get an idea of what they need. Like say for example: "fleece, one layer; half yard f/ medium size AIO." or something like that so a person can get a grasp of what they need, like I said. Just a suggestion.

[rebeccalizzie]

That makes sense. For my patterns (cuddlebuns and mamabird) a half yard will make me two diaper pieces. I get a half yard of outer fabric (flannel is what I usually use) and a half yard of inner fabric (velour or terry or microfleece or suedecloth). Then I have enough for two complete diapers. My patterns are a bit less than a half yard across the wings, so I can fold the fabric in half the short way and get two pieces and enough extra side scraps for my soakers. I think a yard will get me 6 pieces instead of four though, because of the way you can turn them--I can get three across, so folded in half that makes six diaper pieces.

One microfiber towel makes me three soaker layers.

When I buy goodwill T shirts for diapers, an extra large T shirt will make me two cuddlebun layers and one mamabird layer.