I'm Giving up. - Page 2

[Kari_mom]

I think hemp is highly absorbant... hemp french terry in particular is supposed to hold the highest amt. of liquid for weight/size.

I agree, but sometimes the pee comes at it faster than it can absorb. Microfiber can absorb faster. Wrapping a layer of mf around a hemp insert can help because the microfiber catches the pee while the hemp absorbs it. We used to have hemp inserts that were wet in one spot and the pocket leaked, using mf too solved the problem.

Danielle, I think maybe your inserts are too wide for your pockets after reading your experience today. Are they wider than the MOE insert?

Can you do pictures? It might help us figure out what is going on faster.

[kc7fid]

i use microfleece from joans i like it the best actually, you cant buy the FB kind, they have it specially milled

[crazyeight]

My inserts are wider and a little shorter than the MOF. I made them so that they basically filled between the thighs in my diapers. Pictures

This is just one. I have a few that are a little different but you get the idea.

[cinnamonamon]

I would think that the inserts are too wide -- When the insert is wide enough to push at the sides, it basically puts wet fabric right beside thighs & squishes it until it leaks -- that's why most inserts are around 4 inches -- yours are looking more like 6, I think. In the pic with your son do you see how some of the fabric is bunched/folded on either side -- touching his leg? Soaker material in that area will absorb quickly and then just sit and press/strain against the waterproof barrier until it leaks -- especially if he is wearing anything remotely snug fitting over it (jeans, for example).

It also looks like your elastic is too tight -- which means you are probably getting little gaps and/or maybe red marks on your ds. Here's how I do the elastic: I put the "right sides together" of my 2 layers, then stitch around all the elastic areas (other than the pocket, etc.), then turn it right side out. I mark where I want the leg elastic to start/stop, and place the (cheap polybraid) elastic under my mark and sew it down securely at the beginning. Then I go to the other end and do the same. To make it a casing, I sew right beside the elastic (making sure not to catch it) all the way to the other end. I use 5/8 width elastic. I try to size my soakers so there is at least a 1/2 inch of wiggle room on either side of the soaker -- when it's IN the dipe -- not when it's sitting on top (because you have to take the height/thickness of the soaker into account).

Anywho, just my .02 -- good luck!

[crazyeight]

I can try cutting the soakers down. i didn't think the wideness would do anything...yeah they are about 6 in. the elastic is in a casing like you explained and i have seen a few red marks on ds but its more at the top where the pieces come together and i may pinch his skin when i am closing the diaper. i try not to but that chub just gets in the way!!

with the width issue tho...why did the inserts work just fine in the FB and not my dipes? oh well. if all i need to do is cut them down then thats easy.

[OldFashionedGirl]

If you decide to give up on sewing them, I would love to buy the supplies from you!

[ripcurlgirl26]

Could it be that the diapers aren't wide enough? I've had that issue before, the crotch area needs to be at least the same width as the crotch area in an FB here or we have leaks in the leg area.

I'm sorry you're having such a rough time. It's so easy to get discouraged! I'm feeling it too, my last two have had leaks. I'm going to try the ball point needle, I had no clue about that!

[vanilla]

I have a theory (well, I'm pretty sure I know what at least part of your problem is, because it happened to me!)

FB are made with pul that has DWR applied to it- waterproofing. They will not wick to the outside very easily because the outside is very water repellant. Regular pul that most people buy is not DWR treated, although you can find the stuff....

I had wicking diapers that I made very similarly to yours. I ended up just buying a spray bottle of permanent water guard and DWR-ing the things myself. Then they worked perfectly for like a year, until the PWG wore off, they started to wick a bit around the legs again. So I re-applied. It was $10 and made me feel like all that time in front of the machine had not been a total waste- it's SO frustrating to make leaky dipes!!!

I'd try it- www.atsko.com . The permanent water guard is VERy good stuff, not smelly, etc...I found mine locally for like $10.

[vanilla]

oh, and I've used the Jo-anns microfleece, and it works great IMO. I could hardly tell any difference between it and the malden mills stuff, except the jo-anns does pill quicker.

[turtlemama77]

Do you need to wash the dipes you put the water guard on any differently? If boiling mine doesn't work, I think I might try waterproofing the PUL.

[vanilla]

I just follow the directions, I spray them, let them air dry, and then throw them in the dryer for 10 minutes. Then I wash them again and they are good to go, I never give them any special treatment. I tried nikwax, but the PWG lasted much, much longer and doesn't smell hardly- nikwax stinks. I have a very large rotation, but the pul was very water-resistant for at least a year. With heavy use, probably a few months? I dunno. But no, I don't wash them differently

[wiredupweb]

So here's an interesting thought to throw into the mix, as I noticed you have an uncircumcised boy...sometimes when boys are not circumcised (I have 3 and none of mine are) there urine stream is more forceful because it sort of balloons out at the foreskin before it comes out. With tighter forskins (my older 2 boys have this issue) it can actually create a VERY forceful urine stream. My 2 year old absolutely cannot wear pocket diapers of any kind because his urine stream is so strong that the diaper cannot absorb it fast enough...regardless of the type of insert used (I think it has to do with the fact it needs to wick through the microfleece or suedecloth to get to the soaker, but it is such a strong stream that it just sort of goes right out of the diaper).
After way too many leaks when trying out a couple of different kinds of pocket diapers with a wide assortment of inserts, I settled on fitted diapers and wool covers. These never leak - the cotton is able to absorb the stream and the wool is absorbant as well.
I know this does not help your current dilema - but I wanted to throw out a possible explanation that has nothing to do with how you are sewing them. I have talked to some other mamas about this, and for some of us with super-soaker or strong steam boys, pockets just do not work.
Good luck! And if you still want to sew some dipes, think about trying out a few fitteds and wool covers. Butt sweaters work great and are super cheap to make. And the fitteds can be made out of lots of different types of materials.

[tippytoes26]

Originally Posted by vanilla

I have a theory (well, I'm pretty sure I know what at least part of your problem is, because it happened to me!)

FB are made with pul that has DWR applied to it- waterproofing. They will not wick to the outside very easily because the outside is very water repellant. Regular pul that most people buy is not DWR treated, although you can find the stuff....

I had wicking diapers that I made very similarly to yours. I ended up just buying a spray bottle of permanent water guard and DWR-ing the things myself. Then they worked perfectly for like a year, until the PWG wore off, they started to wick a bit around the legs again. So I re-applied. It was $10 and made me feel like all that time in front of the machine had not been a total waste- it's SO frustrating to make leaky dipes!!!

I'd try it- www.atsko.com . The permanent water guard is VERy good stuff, not smelly, etc...I found mine locally for like $10.

I just wanted to agree with this. For us, any diaper not made with DWR treated PUL is totally worthless. Every PUL diaper I buy (except bum-ware because I know hers are made from treated PUL already) has to be sprayed with DWR or it'll wick like mad. But remember.. if you use this stuff, you need to dry your diapers with heat or it won't work. The few times I hung our diapers to dry, they all wicked again *LOL*.. so even when I sun our diapers, I toss them in the dryer for ten minutes or so to "activate" the dwr. I think I re-treat ours every three months or so.

If you watch carefully, the wahms out there that make PUL diapers that rarely get wicking complaints are the ones that use DWR treated PUL... others are hit and miss.

I'm right there with you though.. I almost gave up sewing diapers too until I discovered the DWR on the outside of the PUL was the key for us.

I hope you find the sewing love again!

amber