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.
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.
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. ;)
