Microfiber Inserts

For these two diapers I used a microfiber washcloth as the soaker. The left one is t-shirts and the right one is flannel and t-shirts. The all t-shirt one dries faster than the flannel one, but this flannel/t-shirt/microfiber diaper dries faster than the flannel with flannel or t-shirt soaker.

More Diapers

These two diapers were made with flannel as the outer layer and t-shirt as the inner layer as recommended in the pattern I used. The soaker in one is both flannel and t-shirt and in the other one it is all flannel. I don't like these as much as the first one. The flannel is heavy so the elastic on the legs doesn't stay as snug. It also takes an eternity to dry b/c it is so thick and heavy. The performance seems to be the same as the all t-shirt diaper though.

My First Diaper

This is my first fitted diaper. It's made completely of my husband's old t-shirts. I used four layers for the whole diaper as directed in the pattern I used, and I used 8 layers of t-shirt for the soaker in the middle. I decided not to add velcro to it and just hold it on with a snappi. So far, this diaper has been one of the best that I've made. It absorbs well, but dries pretty quickly after washing.

Finding Patterns

I searched for patterns for creating your own diapers and I liked these two the best:

http://mayna.livejournal.com/198548.html
http://fernandfaerie.com/sewing_fitteds.html

The first one is the one I actually used to make my diapers. The directions are clear and easy to follow, includes helpful photographs of every step, and doesn't require a serger. It also has elastic around the legs and back. I have six Kissaluvs contour diapers without elastic on the legs and they leak out the sides, so I wanted to make diapers with elastic on the legs.

Even though I didn't use the directions at the second site, it was helpful b/c it suggested using old t-shirts to make the diapers and gave a recommendation of 8 layers for the soaker in the middle of the diaper.

Sewing My Own Fitted Diapers

I was using Chinese prefold diapers and Bummis and Thirsties diaper covers on my son. I was also gradually buying several bumGenius one-size pocket diapers. My son outgrew the infant size of prefold so I bought the premium size Indian prefold. The Indian prefolds are softer than the Chinese and I like that. However, the premium size was enormous. There was so much extra fabric folded up in front that he barely fit in his car seat anymore.

I started relying more and more on the bumGenius pocket diapers, which I love, but they are a pretty expensive option for using all the time and I only had a few so I was washing all the time. I started looking at fitted diapers, but they are also too expensive to use all the time. Then I found some sites with patterns for making your own fitted diapers and I started making my own.

The Beginning

I've been experimenting with different kinds of cloth diapers and making my own diapers and covers, and my husband said I should blog about it b/c someone would be interested in reading about it. I can't imagine that anyone would be interested in it, but I'm going to blog about it anyway b/c it might be fun and then I'll have notes about what I've done.