Snaps PLUS Aplix Combo

So, the next logical progression would be a diaper that is natively both snaps and hook and loop ready. Right?

You begin as if you'll be making a H&L diaper... EXCEPT using a wider loop strip.  I used 2 inch to be sure all the front snaps had enough room.

 Next mark where your front snaps go.  I used long-prong just to be safe, but I think regular should work too.

 Apply your snaps.  I did the top row sockets and the bottom studs so the laundry line trick will work as well.

 Then just sew up the diaper as usual, but add an extra upward-facing socket wing snap between the normal wing snaps on each wing.  Also, these H&L tabs only have a single snap each.

 Inside view.

 In snapping mode:

 In hook and loop mode:

 And...  the old line-drying trick! 

Templates can be downloaded here:  http://prefold2fitted.blogspot.com/2012/10/online-free-downloads.html

Snaps to Hook and Loop Conversion

The natural progression from snap-on/off tabs on a hook and loop diaper seems to be snapping on tabs and front loop to a snapping diaper to convert it to a hook and loop diaper?  I guess so!

This...

Plus this...

Equals this...

Simple process to create a little hook and loop snap-conversion kit.  You just put a few stud-backed snaps on a loop strip wide enough to cover your front panel snaps entirely...  Then make a couple snap-on H&L tabs with sockets on the top to attach to your wing stud snaps (or however you do your snaps).

 Secure your front panel loop strip:

 Attach your new tabs to your wing snaps:

 And now you have turned your snapping diaper into a hook and loop diaper!

Now, you can use that same "kit" on any diapers with the same snap layout.  :)

Templates can be downloaded here:  http://prefold2fitted.blogspot.com/2012/10/online-free-downloads.html

Snap-On Hook and Loop Tabs

I saw a woman on my sewing board do this and thought it was brilliant.  She said she saw a youtube tutorial that did something similar as well.

So basically...  You start with your diaper all sewn up.  No laundry tabs needed.  Just the loop strip across the front (and whatever, if any, rise snaps you need).  You then sew up your H&L tabs.  You can use pre-cut die-cut tabs, or shape them yourself like I do.

 Apply snaps to the corners of your tabs.  Studs on the hook side.

 Caps on the loop side.

 Then, spaced the same width apart, sockets up on your wings.

 Your tabs now snap easily on and off of your diaper.

 The adjustability (and babysitter friendliness) of H&L and the ease of care of snaps.

 Tabs popped off:

 Here they are overlapped on the NB setting.

I love this idea from a production stand-point as well.  It would be soooo easy to make all your tabs the same size with the same width snap-placement.  Then they are interchangeable and easy to replace if they get damaged or lost.

** Also, if you do each tab with a socket AND a stud and each wing the same way, the wings could snap together and also be self-clipping for line-drying.  Make sure your tabs are wide enough so the snaps are set far enough apart to snap together around your clothes line.  :)

  Always put the studs and sockets on the same sides for universal tabs.

  Snap onto your clothes line for drying without clothes pins:

 Mess containment with tabs already removed:

 Should work with any type diaper with short enough wings to use this style of cross-over tabs...

Front Envelope-Style Pocket Diaper

Here is a VIDEO tutorial for a similar front envelope pocket diaper style, but with the PUL folded over instead of a separate piece.

This style was requested on my sewing board this morning.

Cut your fabric pieces.

 The PUL rectangle will be the front/top of the envelope pocket to prevent front-leakage.

 Assemble faces-in before sewing around the edges.

 Sew all around the outside and trim your corners before turning through your pocket opening.

 Turn through the pocket.  For ruffled legs and back, top-stitch all the way around (THEN add your elastic casings and elastic.  For non-ruffled, just sew your elastic casings and install your elastic.  Then top-stitch last.

Elastics and wing snaps added.

 Snapped to the middle rise and stuffed with a snapped-down BG insert.

 Showing PUL on both sides of insert to prevent front leaks.

Templates can be downloaded here:  http://prefold2fitted.blogspot.com/2012/10/online-free-downloads.html

Snap-In and Sewn-in Soakers

I now have a VIDEO tutorial for inserts/soakers/doublers up on YouTube as well!

Today I was sewing up some natural fiber fitteds for a woman interesting in trying some basic fitteds (who had been using prefolds and synthetics before and preferred the prefolds).  So, I'll use this opportunity to talk about soaker shapes.

When I first started sewing cloth diapers, I stuck to the very simple long rectangle and long rounded corner rectangles.  Like how the typical pocket diaper inserts are.  They work fine, but they leave that funny middle bulge on the butt and don't utilize the maximum absorbency and fit for the size of diaper.

So, then I switch to contoured newborn soaker my newborn fitteds, AIOs, and AI2s, and a long-fold mostly rectangular soaker with only a wider contoured top for my M-L and OS diapers.

Here is a newborn fitted with the newborn contour snap-in soaker.

Here is one of my multi-wing fitted diapers sewn up with the medium wing length.

Inside (organic bamboo velour inner)

 Outside

 Here is the soaker snapped in.

 For this one, I did the two-layer petal soaker with the snap only through the bottom petal.

 Here is just the soaker petals.  They are far from perfect...

 Opened to show both layers and the snap.

 The back.

 Here is a MEDIUM sized Fold-In Fitted.

For this, I used the contoured soaker shape from my LARGE Sized Pocket AIO to give the middle extra absorbency.  It also provides visual guides for your leg-elastic casings.

Here, you can see how the form gives an excellent guide for sewing your casing seams.

 Here is just the cut out cotton fleece before I stitched it into the body.

Templates can be downloaded here:  http://prefold2fitted.blogspot.com/2012/10/online-free-downloads.html