Showing posts with label cloth diapering. Show all posts
Showing posts with label cloth diapering. Show all posts

Monday, August 15, 2011

Amazon Contour Fitted Diaper #2


Today's amazon contour-to-fitted tutorial uses two cotton flannel contour diapers to make one heavy-duty fitted diaper. :) I'll post up a better finished photo after diaper laundry when the marker is washed out. ;)


What you'll need:
- 3/8" braided elastic
- 2 amazon cotton flannel contours
- safety pins
- sewing machine (only a straight basic stitch is needed)
- thread (I used contrasting for more visibility, but white would look VERY clean)
- scissors

(optional - snaps, velcro, or diaper pins)

Lay one contour over the other.
Trace or sketch your general diaper shape leaving seam allowance.
Cut your two body panels out together.
Cut off the 4 largest chunks of the remaining scrap pieces to be used to extend the wings.
Sew them onto the wings.
(Sew your velcro now if you are doing velcro closures.)
Lay both diapers together with the "ugly sides" out and trim up the wing and back shape.
Sew (or serge) around all but the middle 7" at the back.
Turn right-side-out.
Sew your leg elastic casing channels.
Thread your elastics through with a safety pin, tack, stretch, tack, and trim...
Sew your back elastic casing channel.
Thread and tack your elastic, sew up the back/top of your diaper, and do all your top-stitching.
Add snaps if desired. I did a two-rise fold-over rise snap layout. (the marker will all wash right out)

After about an hour of wear, they rest a little low on my 28lb 36" tall toddler's hips, but they fit fine and move well with her. There are two snap settings wider remaining in the hip width too.
I had her crawl around the floor to make sure the rise was high enough over her butt for a larger crawling baby, and they passed that test just fine too. :)
I would guess that the total materials cost for this diaper are under $1.20. Considering the cost of the elastic used, the thread used, the snaps used, and the two contours ($0.67 for them). It would be under $1 if pinned. It was very quick to make too.

Saturday, August 13, 2011

T-Shirt Fitted Diaper




I recommend using a men's L or XL shirt for a size large or one-size fitted diaper, but you could even use a child's shirt for a newborn diaper!

Wash/strip your shirt well. If it is a new shirt, wash and dry it on hot a few times to make sure all residues are gone and it is pre-shrunk. :)

Use your favorite turned and top-stitched style diaper pattern (or improvise like I did) and trace onto the top portion of the front of your shirt. I flipped the bottom half on this one in order to fit the shirt's graphic best.

Or, trace your favorite fitting diaper all stretched out onto a big piece of poster board or an all opened up paper grocery bag (what I do) and add 1/4"-1/2" seam allowance around it.



Cut out a second body panel from the top back of the T-shirt.

Short sleeves cut open and laid flat
Fitting in a 3rd body panel in 2 pieces from the sides...

Lay your sleeve pieces over your remaining body piece.
Cut all three into equal size long rectangles.


All your cut fabric (plus optional washcloth) laid out.

(optional) Fold your washcloth in half and sew or serge down one side.

Sew or serge together your partial body fabric pieces to make 3 full body panels.

Sew or serge around 3 sides of your stacked long soaker fabric pieces

Turn right-side-out.

Top-stitch around the closed 3 sides of your soaker.

Sew down the middle to prevent bunching and help your soaker lay flat.

Place and pin your long soaker section onto your inside body panel.

Make a couple zigzag passes across the soaker folded up to attach it to your inside body panel.
Fold back down and sew through once to hold the soaker laying flat.

Long soaker all sewn on the inside body panel.

(adding the washcloth soaker is optional)
Pin your washcloth soaker in-place and sew the front and back inside edges only.

Sewn on...

Close-up of how the washcloth is joined to the body panel.

How your inside panel looks with both soakers attached and laid flat.

Lay your inside and outside body panels down face to face.

Lay your 3rd panel on top.

Safety pin or clip your 3 body panels together.

Sew or serge around the front and sides.

Turn right-side out.
Sew your leg elastic casing channels.
Thread through with a safety pin, and tack down your leg elastics.
Sew your back elastic casing channel.
Thread through and tack down the back elastic, and close up the top.
Add your top-stitching details and you're done! (unless you also want to add snaps)
Now you're ready to diaper your squirmy baby. ;)