making cloth wipes without a serger?

[amandaleigh37]

what is the best way to make wipes? I bought our first set, which are over a year old so i need new ones. i just have a basic machine so whats the simplest way to do it?

thanks in advance

[rachdoll]

A zigzag stitch is what I did on mine - I went around twice. They're flannel, been in use for almost 2 years now, no problems.

[orangefoot]

I zig zagged with a stich length of about 2, just went round once and nothing bad has happend yet

[amandaleigh37]

so you mean just sewing the raw edges together? 2 layers? is flannel the best to use? sorry for all the questions, newbie sewer here

[gwen's mom]

I use 2 layers of flannel and one layer of micro fleece and zig-zag-ed the raw edges together. Like others have suggested, I went around twice also.

[orangefoot]

One tip - if you are sewing a lot of wipes; cut rectangles and fold them in half then you have a double layer and only need to sew three sides.

Also 'chain' the sewing: stich the three sides of the first wipe then lift the presser foot, pullyour threads a little to make a gap then put the next wipe under the presser foot and begin sewing again.

You will end up with all the wipes held together by two threads like bunting. If you leave the threads long enough you can cut them and tie off the ends or you can do some back stitching at the start and end of each wipe and just cut off the joining threads.

[mommyrachael]

I did 2 layers of flannel sewn together w/ a zigzag. I did have to trim the edges after the first washing to get rid of strings, but they've been great ever since...No fraying or anything for 16 months of use...and it was an old flannel sheet too! Cheap and easy.

[KariM]

For my first batch I used two layers of flannel fabric (I usually recycle flannel sheets I buy at garage sales and thrift stores) and zig-zagged them together and then trimmed the edges close to the stitching - no fraying!

[angelamclamb]

I guess I am the only one that doesn't use flannel wipes. I use micro fleece. No need to sew, just cut them in the size you need and they stay soft, washes great, doesn't stain and cleans poopy butts better than you would think.

[gmvh]

Another vote for zigzagging the edges but I made single layer flannel wipes and did not like how pill-y they got but have loved the single layer terry wipes. My sister was smart and got old towels from the thrift shop to make hers out of. I also found that rounding the corners was a lot easier as far as sewing was concerned than squaring them. I think I cut them out with square corners, rounded them with the stitching and trimmed them later. Sewing square corners on pieces of fabric that thin and small can lead to the fabric getting chewed or sucked into the machine. Have fun - I made 72 wipes and it was a long couple of days but we're still using them as poopy wipes 3.25 years later so definitely worth it.

[andiamomama]

I may be the laziest person on earth, but I just tore my dh's old stained-armpit t-shirts and underwear (knitted boxer briefs) into large-ish squares. I got 2 wipes out of each pair of underwear (the plain fabric only, remove waistband & fly) and 4 from each t-shirt (tummy section only, used neck and sleeve portions as cleaning rags).

I've been using them for almost a year, they haven't frayed because I ripped rather than cut them, and ds had a ball helping to rip up his dad's old clothes for his sis's wipes. and dh got a few packs of new underpants out of the deal.

[mosesface]

zig zag works great. all our family cloth i just single ply flannel that i zig zagged.

HOWEVER -- just yesterday i sat down and made a couple dozen baby wipes by turning and top stitching. one side is flannel, the other is terry. they turned out SO beautifully! i am in love with them.

it didn't really take that much longer and they look so clean and finished. all you gotta do is lay the wrong sides together, sew a regular stitch along the edges leaving one unfinished part just big enough to turn the whole thing inside out. turn it out, paying attention to push out the corners, then just do a top stitch all the way around.

[Ecstatic]

I'm a bit of a perfectionist (yes, even for cloth wipes).

So, I kind of did the same thing ... just more complicated, lol. I cut long rectangles, folded in half right sides together, used a straight stitch to sew together. I left a small gap, turned it inside out, sewed the opening closed. This way, I got a double layer, the edges were on the inside (so no fraying), and it looked good.

It actually doesn't take as long as it sounds, lol.

Edited: oh wait, just read the above poster, lol. Yea, I did that.

[frebyrds1]

In a hurry, I just simply cut some cheap flannel fabric I bought at Walmart, with my pinking shears. It was fast, easy and cheap. They may not hold up as long as if I had done a zig-zag stitch. However, I wasn't concerned as it was so cheap and having to make more when I have more time is still cheaper than buying disposable wipes.

[Masel]

My wipes are a single layer out of well used receiving blankets. I sewed the zip zags in double rows and then cut between. If I'd had pinking shears I would have used those. There was minimal fraying and what there was finished in the first couple washes.

I like thin wipes. They dry quicker and are better at getting in nooks and crannies.

Now that we don't use these so much for diapers they are great for wiping noses.

[courtenay_e]

Made my ds flannel family cloth out of flannel I got for fifty cents a yard LAST year on black friday. I folded it and cut it with my rotary cutter to be as long and as wide as "four squares" of toilet paper. I zig zagged around the edges (two ply). It is holding up GREAT and he loves it. He has this FEAR of the toilet over flowing, and I told him that it's a LOT less likely to happen with family cloth because there's no TP to plug up the potty. Saves me easily three rolls of toilet paper a week, too (the boy went through it like mad). Sorry, that may be more than you wanted to hear!

But, yes, that's how we did it, cut with a rotary cutter and then zig zagged.

[tuffykenwell]

Well if you can get hold of some hemp fleece or french terry (french terry would be my preference) you can just cut squares into the desired size. It doesn't fray so while it might flip up a bit they won't unravel.

Another option is to do a double layer wipe and just turn and topstitch. Personally I would do double sided flannel but then again I am a big fan of grippiness in a wipe (makes it easier on those poopy bums!) One layer of knit terry and one layer of flannel would be lovely though!

Steph