Pockets, gussets, and snaps, oh my!

Lately I've had what some people may call an odd obsession - cloth diapers. So consider yourself warned about the following post, in which I expound upon my obsession. :)

The idea of cloth diapers first entered my head a few years ago, when Crystal of Biblical Womanhood mentioned that they used Fuzzi Bunz on their baby. I went to the Fuzzi Bunz website and really liked what I saw - those are not the cloth diapers of yesteryear! The thought of saving a lot of money over the long run, by purchasing reusable diapers instead of disposables, appealed to me.

We bought some diapers for a baby shower a few years ago; I couldn't believe the price, and they were ON SALE! Thinking about how many packages you would have to buy for just ONE baby made me choke! :) Since I'm hoping to have many babies in the future, you would have to multiply that price per child. Wow. Time to research more seriously about cloth!

Post continued on another page to spare those who don't want to read the details. :)

I started reading up on different types of diapers...flats, prefolds, fitteds, all-in-ones, pockets...so many new terms to learn about. I definitely liked the sound of pocket diapers, which was the style of the Fuzzi Bunz brand. They have a waterproof outer layer, a soft stay-dry layer which would be next to the baby, and a pocket in between those two layers. You stuff that pocket with an absorbent insert...microfiber being popular. If more absorbency is needed, simply add another insert.

Dad thinks the whole idea is disgusting! :) But really, you're already dealing with a dirty diaper...one or two more easy steps isn't going to make much difference, in my opinion. No soaking or dunking is required, unlike what people used to do. Suedecloth or microfleece helps messes to come off easily - you dump any big messes in the toilet (which, by the way, the Pampers website says you should do with disposable diapers too), toss the diaper in your diaper pail, and wash a load every 2-3 days.

So I started considering whether to invest in Fuzzi Bunz. They are VERY expensive though, $19.95 for a single diaper. With needing a good sized stash of diapers to last between washes, and all the different sizes you would need, that was just too expensive. I looked on E-bay, but they are so popular that the bidding gets up to almost retail price! So much for that idea. During this time, Jonathan often referred to me as a "Fuzzi Bunz fanatic." :)

The solution? Make my own pocket diapers! Soon after that decision, Susan had a post all about homemade cloth diapers on her blog - yay! I had some questions about all the different options, fabrics, etc. so I emailed her, and she sent me a very informative answering email. Thank you, Susan!

That was back in September, and I didn't do much after that, with Aunt Bunny here, the holidays coming up, and I AM still working on my wedding ring quilt! But now, just in the past week, I went ahead and joined several fabric co-ops that Susan told me about. The waterproofed fabric used in diapers is called PUL (polyurethane laminate), and its retail price can be rather high. However, the co-op can get it much cheaper. One of them is having a sale for the month of January, so this past week has been packed with more research and decisions on what and where I need to order before the end of the sale on Saturday.

I bought the Darling Diapers pattern, as it seemed to have many different options and be understandable for a newbie to diaper sewing. At the moment, I am planning on making around 50 diapers, although I'll probably need more later on in the larger sizes. I've had diaper terms swirling in my head all week...FOE, polybraid, 1 mil vs 2 mil, wicking, gussets, caps and sockets and studs, snap press vs snap pliers...it can be overwhelming.

After laying out the diaper pattern on some fabric, I think I need about 8 yards of the PUL. I'm planning on buying half white and half butter yellow, plus 1.5 yards extra of neon green to make diaper pail liners and wet bags. With the elastic around the normal diaper, plus adding in gussets, I'm ordering 53 yards of polybraid elastic to be on the safe side. My plastic snap parts - 1000 caps, 1000 sockets, and 1000 studs - were ordered last night. I'm getting very excited!

In addition to the diapers themselves, I've been making some easy cloth wipes to go along with them. There were some scraps left over from my flannel baby blanket that came in handy, and I also bought some cute baby flannel that was on a great sale last week. The leftover bits and pieces made 9 wipes when sewed together, and the new flannel should make about 25 more. You can make wipes by cutting up old t-shirts and sewing 2-layer squares, but I couldn't resist the cuteness + cheapness of the flannel. Homemade wipe solution recipes abound on the Internet and sound very simple to mix up.

Through all this, I've kept a list of all the costs of the materials. For 50+ cloth diapers, adding up the pattern, suedecloth, fleece, microfiber, PUL, snaps and snap pliers, elastic, and thread come to approximately $180. Divide that out, and each diaper only costs $3.60! Much better than $19.95...

Two diaper pail liners, two zippered wet bags, and a changing mat come in at around $18. The almost three dozen cloth wipes are about $14. All in all, a very good investment in my opinion.

I know my obsession must seem strange, as I don't have any babies yet, nor am I married. But I figure that I should get it done now while I have the time and energy!

Did you make it through that whole post? :)

~Sarah

Comments

[Jenny Haugh]

I think that it is a very smart idea to get them done now. I thought I would have plenty of time, and then, while exhausted and pregnant, the baby came before they were done! Thankfully, a friend made 8 little premie diapers for me, until we got home and settled. Then we set to work making regular sized diapers. It would have been much easier if I would have thought ahead!
One thing I didn't know about cloth diapers-Bleach can break down the fibers down, so if they need to be bleached, it's best to hang them on the line and let the sun do it. Also, it's better to wash them in cheap detergent or baking soda- the expensive detergent coats them (to protect against future stains) but then they don't soak up moisture as well.

Another advantage to cloth- there have been some recent studies on disposible diapers and the chemicals in them linking to infertility later in life. This may be more than you wanted to know though :)

I made about 18 of the smaller size (and only had to wash every 2- 3 days) and about 18 of the larger size. I also used a lot of inserts (but the diapers I made had a separate diaper and cover- the all in ones sound much easier) I used sherpa for the diapers and loved it! They seemed to get softer every time they were washed. I also used pul for the covers, and velcro! I loved the velcro.

And....I made it through the whole post--hope you made it through the whole comment :) Happy sewing!

[Tammy]

I'm actually making diapers right now. :) I have five made so far - three out of the Mama Bird pattern (which I really like!) and two out of the Rita's Rump Pocket diaper pattern. I don't know that the pocket style is for me - it seems like a pain. We'll see.

Where did you get your snaps and snap setter from?

[Dorothy]

Of course I made it through the whole post! I read all the posts faithfully! :) Your industry and thriftiness is an inspiration to me. Although I graduate my youngest this June, I will keep this in mind for grandbabies that will, Lord willing, come one day. Thanks for the great information, Sarah. You are going to be a blessing to your future husband. :)

[Ginny]

Very good idea! I know it will be fun, too.
:-D

[Jo]

I don't think it's strange at all, in fact it sounds very sensible to me. You've certainly got more time on your hands now than you will when they actually become necessary. And I, too, tend to be obsessively interested in cloth nappies - although I am now married (but no children yet) I was fascinated by then long before I met my husband.

Thanks for the interesting post. I read this blog regularly but have never commented before.

Best wishes,
Jo

[Dorothy]

P.S. I love the verse beside the post! :o)

[Susan Ramey Cleveland]

When I had babies, nobody would have dared put anything but cloth on their infants. What goes around comes around, I guess.

[Sherrin Drew]

This is so relevant to me right now as I have just entered the third trimester of pregnancy and really need to start thinking seriously about which kind of cloth nappies would be best for us. I'd love to read more on the topic!

I have been given some ordinary cloth nappies (not fitted) and I'm thinking of buying the Eenee Weenee pants to put them into - http://www.eenee.com.au/index1.html

It would be lovely if you could check out the website and tell me what you think, as you seem like much more of an expert than I am!

I like it that you can also use biodegradable pads with them (for those difficult days, perhaps) because one of Dave's main goals for us in choosing cloth is the benefit to the environment. It is great that if we needed to fall back on something disposeable we could use a biodegradable product.

I'd love to sew some, but am sure it is beyong my skill right now, and have 101 other projects to do before baby!

[Tammy]

Making diapers is new to me-thankfully we are LONG out of them.I used disposables with Allison and cloth for most of the time with Gregory.

Your dad's comment had me laugh!

Sounds to me like you are smart to make them now.Have fun.

[Kathie]

What a useful post, Sarah. I used cloth diapers on all six of my children. The first two I used plastic panties and prefold diapers with pins. Then one of the ladies in church called a company and made a deal that if she could get an order for 200 covers (4 different sizes), we could get them half price. It was easy to get a large order.

The funny part is that after my last 4 children wore them, they were in such good condition that I sold them on eBay for more than the original price! So consider them an investment.

I used prefolds inside the covers, but my friend bought a large bolt of white flannel at Walmart, and just serged it into squares that she folded into thirds.

BTW, all the towels and washcloths that I made lasted all 6 children and then went to my brother for his children. And I liked my homemade flannel receiving blankets that were 42" square...much larger than the storeboughts.

Thanks for a wonderful post, even if it is a trip down memory lane for me:-)

[Amber]

Wow - cool. I thought I was strange because I am unmarried and yet am interested in cloth diapering! Thanks for letting me know I'm not alone. :) I have also considered making diapers ahead of time, but gave up the idea because I don't think I have anywhere to store them. I really enjoyed reading through your post, though. If and when I am blessed with motherhood, I think I might come back to this post and make use of your info!

[Katie barta]

i am currently using cloth for my baby who is 7 months old. good for you getting it done now.

[Courtney, Jer.33:3]

Wow! I have also thought of using them with my own children. Have you had any youngster test them out yet? That would be a neat home business for you!