Mailbox Mondays 2/14/11 - Making Your Own Diapers, Materials & Wool

 

It's Valentines Day, my Dad's Birthday, and it's Mailbox Monday! Every Monday (if I have received a submission), I will answer reader submitted questions, and ask readers to weigh in with their opinions.

Questions don't have to be cloth diaper related, just email maria at change-diapers.com with "Mailbox Mondays" in the subject, or Fill out my contact form for readers, which you will always be able to find on my Contact Page.

Melissa says:

Hi Maria,

I know you usually purchase your diapers but I was wondering if you have any advice for making your own cloth diaper. I am currently pregnant with my first so I am still a newby with all this. I have found several great templates with step by step directions online and they all recommend using flannel as their main material. I was wondering about using fleece for the layer that touches that baby's skin, since that is what seems to be most popular with the name brand diapers. What is the difference between the fleece that I can purchase from the cloth store and microfleece? Is it really necessary to purchase microfleece?

Also, do you have a source for good wool soakers and longies?

Thank you so much for helping me wade through this world of cloth diapers :)

Melissa

You're right that I don't sew my own diapers!  I don't have a sewing machine and while I thought about getting one, I don't realistically think I'd have time to spend on that right now.  I think it's awesome that you are a) going to cloth diaper your first baby (why was I such a chicken??) and b) sewing your own!

So, when I had my bright idea that I wanted to try to make my own diapers, I joined the group Sewing Diaper Divas on Cafemom.  There is lots of great information there on materials, patterns and techniques, though my membership lapsed since I wasn't active there.  There are also a lot of talented WAHMs in the Cuties With Cloth Booties group on Cafemom, that can give you tips!

The benefit of fleece against baby's skin is that it will wick moisture away from the baby's skin into the insert or soaker of the diaper, while flannel will stay wet against the baby's skin. 

Microfleece and fleece are both polyester, but microfleece is made of smaller, and more tightly woven fibers.  It is a lighter "weight" than something like Walden Mills Fleece (which can be used as the outer of night time diapers.)  Generally speaking, water will pass through the microfleece more easily, and it doesn't get as pilly over time.

What materials you use will depend on what you want to make.  It's not a bad idea to just start out with some extra, or inexpensive flannel receiving blankets, and get some practice before buying materials.

I have three wool soakers: a Little Beetle Little to Big Cover, a Kissaluvs Kissa's Wool Lover Diaper Cover and a Mobums Wool Interlock Night Night Soaker.  Wool longies/shorties/skirties are often stocked in The Cuties with Cloth Booties Congo and The Bliss Congo, both of which are stuffed full of talented WAHMs!

I don't own any wool other than what I listed above, largely because wool is just out of my price range.

I think the readers would be better qualified to answer these questions this week!  How about you all?  Do you make your own diapers?  Do you have a favorite place to buy wool?

Preston's Pants One Size Pocket Diaper Review & Giveaway CLOSED

 

Preston's Pants makes perfect size and one-size pocket diapers (my favorite, as you know by now!)  You can get solids, prints and even embroidered designs.  They come in breathable fleece, PUL, cotton prints with hidden PUL and minky.

I am of course grateful for any review diaper I receive, since I'm evaluating the fit and function, not the cuteness.  I do have to admit that I was very excited when I opened the package and saw the cute cow print I had spotted on the Preston's Pants website!

The perforated poly mailer made it that much faster to get to that fluff!  I much prefer this type of mailer to the kind that requires digging out the scissors and cutting carefully.

The package came with printed care instructions.  I really appreciate this, since each manufacturer/diaper maker has their own instructions.  Some are pre-washed, some aren't, some suggest line drying, some machine drying.  It makes it nice and simple to see it right there with the new diaper. 

The sheet also had warranty info.  Yep, Colleen has an official warranty!  Most WAHMs would stand behind their product if you complained, but I like that it's official.  I am leery of being a "complainer" but for some reason if the product were under warranty, I would feel less awkward about the complaint.  No complaints here though!

The diaper has a care tag sewn into the pocket, and this was on the reverse.  It made me laugh because cloth is an obsession!  Something I didn't know when I started out.

The snaps were evenly applied and the stitching seemed fairly even and consistent.

The diaper came with a microfiber insert and a doubler.  I believe the doubler is organic cotton.  They are used by stuffing them in the pocket opening, not laid on top, I just did that for the picture!  My diaper has a microfleece inner, which is my preference.  Preston's Pants can also be purchased with a bamboo inner.

Here's the diaper on the small rise setting.

Stretched:

The large rise setting:

Stretched:

The medium setting is about the same as the medium setting on a Flip.

I usually like to try diapers out a bit before I use them for a nap or car ride, but I put this diaper to the test right away.  I stuffed it with the doubler and put it on my son as we were riding to the airport to pick up my husband.

Looks like he should be saying "Howdy Pardner!"

I got a good fit, and the snap configuration was very simple.  Easy to put on a baby on the move.

My son wore the diaper for more than four hours with no leaking or wicking!  Preston's Pants can definitely give the "big name" pocket diapers a run for their money.  The one-size pockets start at $19.95 for solid PUL; prints and embroidery are more.  I love supporting WAHMs!

Want your own Preston's Pants pocket diaper?  Buy one.  Or, win it.  Colleen at Preston's Pants is offering a one-size pocket diaper to a lucky blog reader (Colleen picks the color.)

Here's how to enter.  You may do all or some of the below.  Leave a separate comment for each entry.  Be sure the leave your email address in at least one of your comments if it isn't visible in your profile.

1. Visit Preston's Pants and tell me what you like.

2. Follow my blog publicly.

3. "Like" me on Facebook

4. "Like" Preston's Pants on Facebook

5. Follow me on Twitter

6. Follow Preston's Pants on Twitter.

7. Tweet about this giveaway.  One tweet per day.  Please include @chgdiapers and @prestonspants in your tweet.  You may use this tweet if you like @chgdiapers has a @prestonspants #clothdiapers #giveaway ending 6/18 http://bit.ly/d15g8g

8. Grab my button for your blog.  Leave me a comment letting me know where I can find it.

I will accept entries until Friday, June 18th, 2010 at 9 P.M. Eastern.  Open to the U.S. only.  Winner will be chosen using random.org's true random number generator and will be notified by email.  Winner will have 48 hours to respond.

Preston's Pants generously provided a diaper for me to review however, the free item did not influence my review.  All opinions are my own.  Results may vary, blah blah.