Just starting to make CDs: What kind would you start with?

[ATD_Mom]

Howdy all! We are only TTC right now, but I am currently a SAHW with a full-time job on the horizon. I'd like to spend my last few weeks of at-home time doing something productive - making some dipes!

There are so, so many options out there. Without having a DC to try them out on, I have no way of knowing which kind would work best for us. (Except that I'm not a fan of the idea of AIOs - we don't use a dryer, so I'm afraid an AIO would take for-e-ver to dry on the rack/line.) But I would like to start with CD from Day One. So would like your advice on what I should try to have on-hand ahead of time.

What worked best for you, for those early baby BF poos?

[ikesmom]

I didnt care for AIO as they were too bulky and the drying factor. I like pockets as you can use them over a prefold as a cover, stuff to needed absorbancy, and we even used as a swim diaper in the summer.

[jlwagner]

I'd say buy the prefolds (they're really cheap and not much fun to sew, IMO) and sew some fitteds. Fitteds are great for keeping in that runny bf poo. I would also suggest you try some of several different patterns/fabrics since you never know what will fit your babe the best. Same for the covers. And also, I highly recommend giving a wool cover or two a try - they really are wonderful!

Happy sewing!!

[mommy_e]

None of the above?

If I were going back to do it all over, I would go with pre-fitteds and covers. Velcro/Aplix wears too easily and snaps are a big investment as you really need a snap press to do alot of diapers. The pre-fitteds give you the trimness and poo holding of a fitted with much less hassle since there are no fasteners to put on.

[Kari_mom]

I think you should consider flats with pockets and wool covers. I use flats and pockets when we travel because they are so easy to wash and hang to dry. I like wool covers because you don't need to wash them all the time. There are about a zillion different folds for flats, so you should be able to find something that keeps in the baby poo. I didn't use flats on my baby at birth, but I did use prefolds. There is a fold called the jelly roll that worked great to keep bf poo where it belonged.

Flats, pockets and wool covers are all easy to sew and don't require a serger or other special equipement. I made knit flats and just cut squares to size, no sewing required. But you can make them as fancy or simple as you would like.

Best of luck to you!

[Jes'sBeth]

I agree. Flats are best if you're drying on a rack. Prefolds can take a long time to dry as can any fitted diaper. I think I'd probably do pockets and flats with a half dozen or so pocket fitteds for night to be topped off with wool.

[ATD_Mom]

Thank you all So Very Much for your advice. There are a heckuva lot of options out there, but it sure sounds like wool covers (is this the same thing as a soaker?) are very popular, and AIOs definitely aren't.

Please do tell - what is a pre-fitted? Sounds like it's not a pre-fold or a fitted, but something altogether different?

Nor had I ever heard of flats with pockets. (I thought pockets were AIOs without the stuffing.) Please explain.

Simple and effective is definitely what we'll be looking for. My husband can't figure out how I think I'll find time to make CDs now - let alone when DC is here.

[MonkeyAndOtterMom]

atd mom,
your pottery is gorgeous! i would definately go for something that dries quick. thats my major complaint so far. make as many as possible pre-baby if you can!

[Kari_mom]

A prefitted is a prefold that has been cut in an hour-glass shape and had elastic added. It requires less folding than a prefold, because you do not have to fold around the legs.

Flats are just large squares of absorbant fabric. They can be folded in different ways and used in different ways. I like them as stuffers in pocket diapers. Pocket diapers are like AIOs without the soaker. You can use different things to stuff a pocket diaper, like prefolds, microfiber towels, inserts made to fit pocket diapers, or flats. Flats work well as stuffers because you can fold them up to fit inside the pocket, but open it all back up again to dry. Check out this link for more ideas and some photos [url=http://fernandfaerie.com/frugaldiapering.html] Frugal diapering [/ur]. Even if you want to use new materials, the sewing and diaper ideas are the same.

[ATD_Mom]

So! I have been trying my hand at this a bit. I just used some scrap fabric, combined with a free pattern, and dove in. They aren't anything that could actually be used, I don't think. One is a pocket/fitted: flannel on both the inside and outside. The other is a fitted without the soaker: fleece on one side and stretch terry on the other.

It's great fun, and I was amazed at how quickly I could make one. But I have stopped after the above two. I don't know if these patterns will work or not on an actual baby! There's part of me that wonders if I shouldn't just be knitting wool soakers right now - and maybe we should buy a whole lot of used size 0 Kissaluvs. We could use those from the start, and then I could make some homemade CDs once I have a baby here to try them on.

I need some sort of "Real Baby!" doll from the store or something - a little baby model to try to fit these to. Ha.

[Kari_mom]

Why don't you think they could be used? I bet the free pattern you used has been tested on at least one real baby, the baby of the person who designed it. Which pattern did you try? What size did you make?

Your diapers sound great. Having a stockpile of wool soakers sounds great too, I admit. Maybe work on both as you feel like it.

[ATD_Mom]

Well, I only meant they couldn't be used because:

• I didn't put any aplix or snaps on them
• the elastic doesn't seem to work properly
• the material seems wrong on the flannel one. Since it's a pocket, shouldn't the inside of the diaper be a wicking fabric - and then the insert would be of a soaking sort?

Here's a pic of my flannel pocket, which was made from the "Wee Weka Side Snap or FOE training pants or fitted with foldout soaker (small to medium)" pattern from The Nappy Network Web site. Instead of making the fold-out soaker, I just left a hole to insert one later.

And here's a picture of my fitted, which sort of came from the "Wee Weka Serged edge fitted/contour/booster/cover (size S)" pattern, again from The Nappy Network. I say "sort of" because I made it a bit smaller and did not serge the edge. And I didn't make the soaker!

These are my first-ever sewing projects, leave for some applique lettering in college. I don't think I did the elastic right. It seems springy enough on the polka-dotted ones, but it seems as though that should have an extra stitch on the inside of the elastic - so it doesn't roll in? I tried this on the green/blue one, but the extra stitch seemed to make the elastic spring less. On one leg I did the second (inside) stitch right overtop of the elastic, and on the other leg I did it just inside of the elastic. Neither of them spring all too much. Both with a long straight stitch.

Any suggestions or links to suggestions on sewing elastic? Maybe I should start a new "Please help a newby!" thread?

[Kari_mom]

I think your diapers look lovely! They do need fasteners and soakers, but otherwise I think they are quite usable.

The inside of a pocket diaper can be whatever you want, flannel included. A lot of pocket diapers are made with microfleece or suedecloth for their stay-dry properties, but you don't have use a wicking layer. I prefer not to use microfleece or suedecloth in my diapers. To me, it is a bulky, non-absorbing layer that can be problematic (holds odors, repels if not laundered properly) and my son doesn't seem to need it. I have a few microfleece PUL pockets for when I can't change him as often as I like, the stay-dry feature is nice then.

It is ok, on a fitted or fitted pocket, for the layers to roll to the inside or out however they want. You are right though, stitching around the legs will keep the edge tidier and the elastic rolled in one direction. Try stitching a casing around the elastic, so that there is about 3/8-1/2 inch between the edge and your stitching with the elastic in between. Every time you stitch through elastic, it loses some bounce. Sewing a casing around it rather than through it helps.

I find the Wee weka diapers are pretty much on target with sizing. Did you check out the newborn diapers further down the page?

There are lots of ways to sew elastic into a diaper, I will look around and see if I can find some links for you or maybe someone else has an idea.

[ATD_Mom]

Wow. Thank you so much for your detailed, personalized help.

"Casing" - that's the word I was looking for! I couldn't come up with it; I'm glad you knew what I meant. I did that on one of the blue/green legs, and it ended up bouncing just as much as the one where I stitched right on top of the elastic.

Very glad to hear your comments on the inner wicking layer (or no). Your explanation makes complete sense to me. Feels pretty fun to know these could be real diapers with just a couple more steps!

I have to admit, I have never held a cloth diaper in my hand before. Never even seen one (not counting those Gerber burp-cloth types). I am hinting to my husband I'd like a used one for Christmas. Just so I can take it apart and better understand how they're constructed. I think this will answer so many questions.

Speaking of DH, he has objections to me making CDs now. His basic arguments are, "But what if you make 30 diapers and they don't fit? Or the baby is allergic to them? You know we don't even have a baby yet, right?" He's mostly just teasing me, but he does have a point. I answer all his objections the same way, "Then we'd just sell them!" Ha.

Thank you so much again. I'm having way too much fun with all this.

Oh! p.s. The Wee Weka fitted I made, which I said was small, was just the size S with a cm taken off every edge, which is what they recommend to make a newborn size. So I guess I really did follow the pattern.

[ddegreeff]

Find a diapering class...

I am expecting another child in late April. This will be the first child in cloth diapers. I have a friend who has given me some of her diapers. I got so confused when searching on the web about them. There are so many choices. I am blessed to live in the same town as The Cotton Babies store and they offer a free diapering class. I learned SO much. I still won't know the exact needs of my child but it was great to get my hands on each choice. I did buy some used ones of each type. I think DH will like the AIO's. But I plan on drying them in the dryer. So between the free patterns and the used ones I should be able to make some of my own. If you have firends who cloth diaper, I would recommend checking out their stash. Good luck on TTC!

[amberthesugarcat]

I would suggest buying one pattern (I love www.darlingdiapers.com pocket fitted or AIO patterns) and sew up pockets. Pockets are only 2 layers and you can use cheap fleece from the fabric store or order PUL on-line as the outers, and microfleece or cotton (flannel, sherpa, velour, etc.) for the inners. Since they are only 2 layers they are super easy to sew and dry very quickly.

Fitted take longer to sew/dry since they have layers that are several layers, plus they are more expensive to make generally. Then you also have to sew/buy covers. Pockets don't need covers and you can stuff them with PFs, flats, microfiber auto towels, kitchen towels, etc.

[leerypolyp]

That polka-dot diaper is adorable! You could totally sell them if they didn't end up working for you.

It actually sounds like you're off to a really good start. We've really been loving my homemade pockets (either scrap flannel or thrift-shop turtlenecks) stuffed with infant-size prefolds, but I think you'd be wise to go with flats there. So much easier to deal with, both with washing thoroughly and rack-drying.

[Mynn]

um tell him honey, if baby is allergic to your diapers, he or she will probably be allergic to CLOTHES. Then, well, show him some threads on elimination commuication. (then again reading them might get you interested in it and he won't have to worry about diapers .)

[mommyof3andcountin]

I say flats too, if you are hang drying....

[gabysmom617]

If you are hang drying, I suggest everything pocket (or flats, like others mention, but i don't have any personal experience with those,).

Pockets dry *so quick* for me, I am having some drying issues too.

Is there some directions for pocket prefolds somewhere? (sorry, seems like I vaguely remember seeing directions for pocket prefolds at one time...)

Because if it was, I would suggest pocket prefolds if you are trying to just whip up a bunch right quick. Pocket prefolds and wool covers for at home...

...And then a few regular pockets for a trim fit for babe to wear when you go somewhere...

Just my take.

ETA: All my fitteds take for.e.ver. to dry too.