Is this REALLY what suedecloth is?

[grniys]

I was at Joann's today and they had the alova suedcloth on sale for 50% off, and I remember reading posts here that said the alove suedcloth is what Joann's calls the type you want for CD.

It just doesn't feel right though. It's not nearly as soft as I thought it would be. The end tag thing on the bolt said it's 100% polyester alova suede (the sign above it said alova suedecloth) and mentioned something about apparel, so I'm guessing it's considered a fabric for making shirts and such? I dunno. I bought 2 yards just in case, and asked the guy cutting the fabric and he assured me it was alova suedecloth. It just feels... fake. Not soft and lovely and smooth like I thought it would.

Does it sound like the correct kind of suedecloth to you? I just don't want to make a couple dipes with it and then realize it's totally wrong. Thanks in advance!

[saimeiyu]

Yep. Sounds right to me.

[grniys]

Thanks. I just expected it to feel... different. I dunno. But I'm glad I bought the right stuff.

Thanks.

[grniys]

Oh, hey, I have one more question. (I'm sure everyone is sick of my diaper making question's by now ) They had white, but it was only in the costume fabrics section. The sign there said Costume Alova Suedecloth or something similar. Would the costume stuff work for dipes, or no?

[saimeiyu]

I would say, more than likely. I don't know what's the difference, but, really, they're probably similar enough that it doesn't matter.

[Think of Winter]

Yeah, that's it. I like MM microfleece a lot better for it's softness and squishiness.

[grniys]

Thanks! I'll probably go pick up a yard of the white costume alova suedecloth then.

I also think I'll prefer the microfleece, but I want to be able to experiment with different things to see which I'll prefer more, you know?

Thanks so much!

[selena_ski]

i used this (alova from joanns) it works well. I didn't buy the costume one though because it was much more expensive than the regular, it was a tad thicker though.

[Baby Makes 4]

It will feel different once it's been washed a few times.

[KristyDi]

Originally Posted by Baby Makes 4

It will feel different once it's been washed a few times.

: It's amazing what a couple of washings will do to the feel of new fabric. Be sure to wash at least once before you cut and sew.

[grniys]

Thanks! That makes me feel better about buying it.

I always wash fabric before working with it, so I'll be sure to do that. I'm waiting for some cloth diaper detergent I ordered to arrive, but the shipment was delayed, so it looks like I'll need to find something else in the mean time.

Any suggestions for brands I can find easily, like at Walmart or Target that are ok for cloth diaper materials?

[KiansMomma]

For detergents, I use a squirt of original blue dawn to strip all my new fabrics. That should be easy enough to find! (Oh and I use this to wash my diapers most often as well!)

[grniys]

Thanks!

[texasmommatotwo]

why would you want to use the suedecloth? i am new to this as well and was wondering. also, what is mm microfleece???

[grniys]

The suedecloth is actually much, much softer now that it's been washed and dried. I'm pretty amazed at the difference. I don't know why people use it, but I'm just kind of following the crowd on this since I'm new to cloth diapers. I figure I'll try a variety of things and see what my monkeys- err, boys- like.

MM microfleece I believe stands for Malden Mills, which I guess is a leading brand. I bought Tonitex though, cause it was what was in stock from the online place I bought from.

[texasmommatotwo]

ahhhh, thanks! i just joined diaper sewing divas forum...they have tons o'info...maybe too much?? i think i am gonna do what you do...try diff stuff to see what works for my boy too.. good luck!

[outeast]

I need to get over to JoAnne to check this out. I made a pocket out of some suedecloth a while back & it was kinda pricey. I'd love to find some good quality microfleece there, while I'm at it. I do love using my secondhand cotton stuff, but I don't like having it against the skin for that long if I can't change it right away...which I'm sure will happen more going out in this cold weather.

[junipermuse]

Originally Posted by texasmommatotwo

why would you want to use the suedecloth? i am new to this as well and was wondering. also, what is mm microfleece???

Microfleece and Suedecloth are both used as interior layers for diapers (especially pockets) because they wick moisture away from the body and feel dry to the touch. My first instinct was to avoid them because they are polyester, but it turned out my babe got a rash if she had even the tiniest bit of wetness against her skin. With fitted diapers I ended up making doublers with a microfleece top layer to lay in the diaper to prevent the rash, but then I moved to mostly pockets because the whole inside layer is microfleece. I've never really had any diapers with suedecloth though.

[flower01]

I haven't actually made diapers yet, but i have purchased diapers with suedecloth and MM fleece. Personally I like the suedecloth better begins it doesn't hold onto stains and over time it's held up a lot better in the wash. It also seems to work more effectively as stay dry. However, I've heard it's a pain to sew with so I probably will just use MM fleece.

[grniys]

Originally Posted by flower01

I haven't actually made diapers yet, but i have purchased diapers with suedecloth and MM fleece. Personally I like the suedecloth better begins it doesn't hold onto stains and over time it's held up a lot better in the wash. It also seems to work more effectively as stay dry. However, I've heard it's a pain to sew with so I probably will just use MM fleece.

It's soooo much easier to sew with suedecloth than MM fleece.

Plus, my ds is sensitive to fleece so his bum bleeds if I put him in fleece lined dipes all day. So I've been sticking with suedecloth. I really like. It's much more convenient, imo, than using fleece.