Best Soaker Materials?

[TaraD.]

What do you use for your soakers (also, do you use the same fabrics for doublers)? I have bamboo fleece, bamboo french terry, bamboo loop terry, Joannes fleece, flannel, etc.

What would you do? Also, what kind of patterns do you use for these things?

Thanks!

Tara

Also, what is the purpose of bamboo jersey? Is it used in diapers?

[mehndi mama]

I use old cotton t-shirts for everything - inner, outer, soaker, doubler. If I want to get fancy, I'll use cotton velour for the inner layer, or terrycloth or a cute cotton knit print for the outer layer.....but for the main part of the diaper, cotton t-shirts work better than anything else I have tried. And that includes hemp (only very marginally more absorbent and a far bigger pain to take care of....not to mention the smelliness and stains!) and bamboo (which is lovely and soft, and nice and absorbent, but is still technically a rayon which is notorious for not being very long-lived when it comes to brutal washing techniques.) Good ol' cotton is still the most easily available and offers more than adequate absorbency for the average baby.

I have a sewing site with a free diaper pattern here: http://fernandfaerie.com/frugaldiapering.html
All the fun ways to use t-shirts on your kid's bum

[Shane]

I've never heard of bamboo. Pardon my ignorance, but is that made from bamboo the plant?

I mostly use french hemp terry , old tshirts, and flannel. All because when I first started making diapers I bought what I thought was a little bit of everything, but has turned out to be a lot of everything. But I couldn't resist cutting up some old concert t-shirts. some of my favorites like Dave Matthews, Driving N Crying, and some DJ t-shirts, College team t-shirts. They just seem retro, and cool to me. I plan to keep them when they kiddies outgrow them. Maybe that's silly.

[amysuen]

I use bamboo and hemp french terry and fleece, and organic cotton fleece.

Joann's fleece is probably polyester so it won't be absorbent, it'll either wick the wetness through or repell it off.

I've never used flannel for soakers - no patience to cut up all those layers, LOL!

I use bamboo jersey for a hidden layer in diapers if a customer doesn't want hemp, but it's so silky and stretchy I'll bet you could use it for clothing.

HTH!

[mehndi mama]

OK, I got busy blabbering about what *I* use, and didn't actually answer your question.

With what you have listed, I would use the bamboo fleece and bamboo french terry for soaker pieces. I would use the bamboo terry (if it is stretch terry) for the inner layer (next to the skin). The JoAnns fleece, if it's a polar-fleece type fleece, MAY be able to be used for diaper covers or AIO outers, but I'm not sure of their effectiveness. I haven't used that for diapers personally, and would be more inclined to make hats, mittens, scarves, and blankets out of the stuff.

For flannel....I love using flannel for AIOs - they're not supposed to be super-duper absorbent, because you have to have a thinner diaper to dry properly. I've had excellent luck with my flannel AIOs with just 8 layers of flannel in the center - I change every 2 hours, as you are supposed to do with any diaper.
I think your best bet for an AIO pattern to use up your flannel would be the Very Baby Very Basic AIO, as it is designed to be used with thinner cotton fabrics and the fit is really nice. www.verybaby.com You can buy your PUL and hook-and-loop tape there, too. They have patterns that would be good to use with your other fabrics, as well.

[Shane]

I have used the very baby pattern before and do mostly use flannel for the soaker and microfleece for the layer next to the baby's skin.
Flannel, because Joanns has that great sale on it every year, the day after thanksgiving. It's only 96 cents a yard then. They do that 2 times a year, but I can't remember when the other day is. They don't always carry microfleece, only in the winter months down here in Ga, do they carry it. It's the best price I've been able to find on it.

But my favorite is the French Hemp Terry. (Less layers, less cutting) and I have also used that with the Very Baby pattern without any problems. But for me, it is much more expensive. And, since I've already bought way too much fleece, I'm not planning to buy any more hemp french terry unless someone requests me to make some for them with that.

I'm only making pocket diapers for myself anymore, so the cute flannel pattern isn't completely wasted on a soaker that won't ever be seen. But I don't use anybody else's pattern for that. I don't know who's got the best pocket diaper pattern out there.

[Shane]

Originally Posted by Shane

And, since I've already bought way too much fleece, I'm not planning to buy any more hemp french terry unless someone requests me to make some for them with that.

I meant to say flannel. Since I've already bought way too much flannel, I'm not planning to buy any more hemp french terry.

[Shane]

Forgot to mention I don't use doublers. Never have. I've always had light sleepers, so my usage of cloth diapers at night was very short lived. (for mommy's need of rest) But I should go for it again because since I started using fleece next to baby's skin it's much more difficult to tell if they've wet their diaper or not. It's amazing to me at how well it wicks that moisture away into the soaker pad. So I did make a doubler with one side covered in microfleece. I haven't tried it, though. Not yet anyway.

[mehndi mama]

The VB AIO pattern can be used to make pocket diapers, too. There are tutorials on how to do different things with the patterns at www.sewdiapers.com

Shane, you should give a denim-backed t-shirt diaper a try. Make it pocket style, stuff an extra insert in there, and throw a wool soaker over it all. My super-pee-er boy never once leaked in one of those at night....and I don't do middle-of-the-night changes either, unless I have to!