-The DIY club-

[princessellie]

i have one you have can have for nowt if you can collect it x

 

[flubdub]

i have one you have can have for nowt if you can collect it x

Wow, really? I couldnt take it for nothing though, I would give you some money for it! How lovely of you!

 

[princessellie]

nah i dont want anything for it, its not too old but i did use the life out of it for the shop lol, its really dusty from being stored aswell so will need a good clean so i couldnt take anything for it lol x

 

[flubdub]

nah i dont want anything for it, its not too old but i did use the life out of it for the shop lol, its really dusty from being stored aswell so will need a good clean so i couldnt take anything for it lol x

Wow, thats really really lovely of you! I will PM you

 

[flubdub]

Has anyone used any fabric from Ikea? We went today and they had loads and loads of it! Loads of rolls, and you just cut it yourself. All lovely stuff too!

 

[~RedLily~]

I'm thinking about making a mei tai and have been looking at fabrics and was wondering if this fabric would be ok? I don't make things so I don't know how much fabrics should cost or anything
https://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Cotton-Canvas-Fabric-Black-New-Off-Roll-/190513563714?pt=UK_Crafts_Fabric_Textiles_SM&hash=item2c5b7e4842#ht_1385wt_985

If it's no good could someone recommend a better one please? It's for a mei tai with interchangeable panels if that makes any difference

 

[princessellie]

never used ikea material but have heard good things about it

^ that material looks fine to me x

 

[JellyBeann]

For all you seasoned wipes makers, and Nappy makers for that matter, I have made a few nappies, but they seem to leak at the legs, anyone know why this may be? I use them in the house, as it doesn't really matter! BUT I couldn't use them outside, so, I dunno lol! Anyhoo...

WIPES...
I have a couple of questions

1. what material(s) is/are best?
2. how is best to edge them without an overlocker? A tight zigzag stitch I would have thought, but correct me if I'm wrong!

 

[xerinx]

Are you using elastic around the legs? If so whats the thickness?

Fabrics wise ive used cotton,fleece and minkee for the outside and fleece inside with a layer of pul inside too. (nappies)

For wipes it depends what you want to make them out of? If you use fleece you dont need to edge them, but i made my own with fleece one side and towelling the other and i turned and top stiched them to stop the cotton from fraying.

 

[JellyBeann]

Are you using elastic around the legs? If so whats the thickness?

Fabrics wise ive used cotton,fleece and minkee for the outside and fleece inside with a layer of pul inside too. (nappies)

For wipes it depends what you want to make them out of? If you use fleece you dont need to edge them, but i made my own with fleece one side and towelling the other and i turned and top stiched them to stop the cotton from fraying.

Yes, I am using elastic, I think it's half inch wide.

I use fleece and a waterproof material (not PUL I couldn't find any lol) inside with towelling as an inner

Ahh, fleece not fraying sounds good!! I think I might use some of my offcuts for them later!

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Another question...Is there anything special you have to do with the wipes, like leave them in a solution, or just dampen them before use? I'm completely clueless!!​

 

[xerinx]

I personally have like a tupperware tub that i fill with water and the wipes sit in there.. i change the water every 3 days i guess. I did use a spray bottle when he was smaller but then it leaked everywhere so i used a tub instead!!

I do sometimes you wipes solution like this- https://www.bums-n-roses.co.uk/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1_23_8&products_id=17 but i find ive got to change the water more often as they smell off quicker!

Are you sure the material you have is waterproof? Because i know a few that claimed to be didnt work when i made nappies!

 

[xerinx]

double post!

 

[JellyBeann]

I personally have like a tupperware tub that i fill with water and the wipes sit in there.. i change the water every 3 days i guess. I did use a spray bottle when he was smaller but then it leaked everywhere so i used a tub instead!!

I do sometimes you wipes solution like this- https://www.bums-n-roses.co.uk/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1_23_8&products_id=17 but i find ive got to change the water more often as they smell off quicker!

Are you sure the material you have is waterproof? Because i know a few that claimed to be didnt work when i made nappies!

Pretty sure it's waterproof, I did put a puddle on it, and sit it there for 10 mins, and it didn't leak through, I'll have a look for PUL and try that, anyone have any links for me to internet PUL?

Thanks for the wipe advice, I shall get a tub!!

 

[xerinx]

These sell pul- https://pocketbots.co.uk/index.htm

And this place sells waterproof fabric that i know works as its what i used for nappies, csp and breastpads- https://efabrics.co.uk

 

[princessellie]

it could just be that you need to make your elastic a bit longer if youre getting leg gape, or make the tabs a bit shorter so when you fasten the nappy at the front it pulls up the wings, iyswim, i used to get wing droop on a lot of my nappies and i found this helped x

 

[flubdub]

Are you using elastic around the legs? If so whats the thickness?

Fabrics wise ive used cotton,fleece and minkee for the outside and fleece inside with a layer of pul inside too. (nappies)

For wipes it depends what you want to make them out of? If you use fleece you dont need to edge them, but i made my own with fleece one side and towelling the other and i turned and top stiched them to stop the cotton from fraying.

Yes, I am using elastic, I think it's half inch wide.

I use fleece and a waterproof material (not PUL I couldn't find any lol) inside with towelling as an inner

Ahh, fleece not fraying sounds good!! I think I might use some of my offcuts for them later!

----------------------------------------------

Another question...Is there anything special you have to do with the wipes, like leave them in a solution, or just dampen them before use? I'm completely clueless!!​

I just have a spray bottle that I keep with my wipes, and I put 1 tbsp of olive oil in it, and fill it upwith water. When I need a wipe, I just give it a quick spray and use it that way.

 

[Kaites]

Another thought on the leaky nappies- what kind of thread are you using? If you aren't already, try using 100% polyester thread since cotton will cause wicking. Also a ballpoint needle will help keep the holes where the needle pushes through a bit smaller than a sharp will and I'd try to avoid using cotton fabric for the cute outer layer too (stick to polyester or another synthetic if possible- it's possible to use cotton, just more difficult to get the layering done so that it avoids wicking problems). hth

 

[JellyBeann]

Ahh, I think it may be my thread!! Thanks hun, I shall double check that and try again!

 

[flubdub]

Bit of a cheeky question but can anyone write me (or find me a decent walkthrough) a step-by-step guide to making your own baby wipes? I have finally mastered the basics of a sewing machine - and I mean BASICS, but I really want to make some wipes and breastpads. I cant make the breastpads until I have something waterproof to put in them, but I can do the wipes as I have bought fleece and towelling. I have looked on the web, but the walkthrough's seem to be for people who know what they are doing!

EDT: Why, on this website, does it tell you to do a straight stitch all the way round the pads, and then do a zig zag stitch? What is the striaght stitch for if you a stitching it with a zig zag?

https://www.passionatehomemaking.com/2009/04/homemade-nursing-pads.html

 

[Kaites]

Here are my instructions for T&T wipes (turned and topstitched):

- cut 2 pieces of fabric ~1inch larger in both width and length bigger than your desired finished size (ie, if you want wipes that are 8x8, start with 2 squares that are 9x9)
-place the 2 pieces of fabric rightsides together and sew with a straight stitch all the way around (about 0.5" from the edge of fabric), stopping about 1 inch from where you started so that you are leaving about a 1 inch gap- this is the hole that you will use to turn your wipes rightside out. I find it works best to make the gap in the middle of a side rather than close to a corner.
- I like to clip the 4 corners now so that there is only a tiny bit of fabric beyond each of the corner points (about a mm or 2)- totally optional but it makes for better looking corners when you're finished
- Turn your work inside out through the hole you've left in your stitching so that the right sides are now showing, working the corners to make the wipe as square as possible (unless you've sewn curves rather than actual pointy corners)
- Sometimes I iron the wipes at this point to make them look extra nice (but you don't have to, lol)
- pin the two sides together where you had left the hole for turning your work so that the gap is closed- this holds the gap closed when you sew over it next
- Topstitch all the way around the wipe (don't leave any gaps) about 0.5cm around (I usually just use the edge of the presser foot as a rough guide). This closes up the hole from turning your work and looks pretty. I sometimes use a zigzag for the topstitching but a straight stitch is fine.

T&T wipes are super durable but you can also just put your 2 rightsides facing out (like a finished wipe looks), straight stitch all the way around and then do a tight zigzag to try to overlock the edges. I don't think it looks as nice but it's functional and pretty quick. I have a serger now so I just serge the two pieces together quickly. I think the breastpad instructions were just trying to mimic how a serger works- a serger does one row of straight stitching and another row of overlock around the edge all at once (2 needles and 4 threads working at once). You probably could just do the zigzag and it would work just fine.

hth- if you need some piccies, I can try and do a photo tutorial for you but I probably wouldn't have a chance to post that until Monday