-The DIY club-

[Thumper]

Cheers ladies start this week some time once I've had a play with my new machine. I shall post pics when done

 

[imagine13]

Love this thread. I am making my own nappies - here's some of my more creative ones:

https://i118.photobucket.com/albums/o98/BridgesideRats/IMG00074-20110925-1745.jpg

https://i118.photobucket.com/albums/o98/BridgesideRats/IMG00075-20110925-1746.jpg

Can't wait until there's a little bum in them

 

[Wantingbbbump]

I am so glad I found this thread!! I have spend most of my afternoon watching videos on how to make my own covers and my mom is going to teach me how to sew. We are going to be making them together. I am so excited to start doing this and when I make some I will post pic's so you all can see them. I will be able to have a lot of covers now and I can size then right to my baby after it's born and as it grows. Oh I am so excited!!! My Dh will be happy too because I will be saving tons of money not only by using cloth diapers but also by making my own covers/AIO's too!! I feel like a kid in a candy store!

 

[cheese lover]

My mom has made 20 AIO's for every size so far. I love my mom made diapers. We use them for daycare since they're velcro closed. I made wipes and I'm now working on some wool longies.

 

[NDH]

I'd love to make my own, but the supplies are so hard to come by here (only available online, everything is like $20/metre or close to and then shipping costs on top) so I really don't know if I'd even break even let alone save anything in the end... if I was planning on buying expensive brands or all brand new sure I'd probably save money by making them but I'm buying preloved where I can and trying to keep my spending to $15-20 each for new (which is no easy feat here lol).

I am, however, planning on making all my own wipes, diaper bag, changing mat, etc. I'm currently working on things for me rather than coming baby though lol. Have 14 pairs of breast pads to sew up, and I'm making my own mama cloth too. Just waiting to borrow my SIL's overlocker/serger next week. And then once DH is working again will buy all my fabric for diaper bag, wipes, etc.

 

[NDH]

I decided to trial some mama cloth without the overlocker and just turn and topstitch. It's a bit of a pain but not too bad. I just repurposed some old flannel pajamas and had two scraps of minky just big enough to try making a few liners. Got 4 done. The minky topped ones (plaid flannelette bottoms) I goofed and didn't make the wings long enough so will have to safety pin those, but the other two which are the same flannelette on both sides I've given a buttonhole closure (don't have a snap press/pliers and don't fancy using velcro). So these are just my first liners with one layer of hemp french terry in the middle (got a bag of hemp offcuts for cheap last week which I've used to cut out double layers for 14 pairs of breast pads and cores for loads of pads too)

 

[veganmum2be]

fab teeny nappies imagine!

and also fab cloth NDH i made most of mine too, the prices od them to buy ready made are silly. it sucks that you cant get cheap supplies for nappy making!

i'm practicing knitting at the moment, i'm making me a massive green scarf at the moment which is taking its time but i sit and do it every night and spare minute, i'm going to make Frank a matching little one too.
i bought a knitting dvd and its fab got loads of projects to do on it, i havent started anything cos i was doing the scarf, but i cant wait to make fun things!

haven't really made any diy baby things for a while though, just modifying my clothes.

still havent started my patchwork quilt wish i hadn't let it pile up for so long, i'm still going to do it but its going to be a christmas thing now for certian.
my machines gone funny which doesnt help, its about 30 years older than i am, all original parts and now the pedal gets super burny hot, and then randomly goes itself
oops.

 

[Kaites]

Cute diapers imagine- I like the print on the first one

Great start to your stash of mama cloth NDH I made my stash too- like veganmum said, it's crazy the prices that they sell for so you'll definitely save by making your own!

I'm still knitting up a storm too, lol I had a huge order of wool yarn arrive last week and it was like Christmas came early I have 3 projects cast-on atm and should really just stick with one at a time though (pair of socks for me, an elephant lovey for a friend's baby and another pair of longies). Of course, I still haven't even cut up the fabric for Emma's birthday quilt and that's just over a week away, so I should really be working on that if it's going to be done in time.

 

[imagine13]

Thanks ladies! Glad I am not alone in my endeavors- good work all Got some minkee fabric coming to make more nappies with and clothes/blankets, so exciting!

Hopefully some of you ladies can teach me how to knit - I'd love to make some little knitted legwarmers and hats.

What is the best stuff for making nappy booster liners? I was going to get some cheap terry towels and cut them up.....good idea / bad idea?

 

[cheese lover]

Has anyone crocheted wool longies? Does anyone know of a good pattern? I'd rather not have to learn to knit since all I need is another hobby

 

[Kaites]

Imagine- I love our cotton liners since you can pretty much do anything (boil, bleach, etc.) to them and they'll live to tell the tale. Ikea here do cheap cotton bar towels for 49cents and they work great tri-folded I also love bamboo fleece- serge a double layer square and then trifold them in the diapers- faster drying and get cleaner than a 6 layer insert (although some people prefer not to have to trifold and would rather a 6 layer insert)

cheese lover- my first crochet longies were done using a tutorial on Diaperswappers (here). My best advice would be to make sure you do the waist so that it's a bit on the snug side if you decide to try this tute- I made mine way too loose and ended up with something that looked like wool cycling shorts for me, lol Check out Ravelry too- lots of crochet patterns there if I remember correctly. Princessellie might have some suggestions since I think she's a bit of a crochet expert And if you do decide to knit some up and want some recs, just let me know- I have a couple faves for knitting too

 

[cheese lover]

Thanks Kaites!! I've been looking for something like that. Have you ever used Alpaca yarn for longies or shorties? I picked some up recently and it's sooo soft.

 

[Kaites]

Yep, I love alpaca- the bloomers I posted a couple of pages back are alpaca. I'm using a wool/alpaca blend for the longies I'm working on right now too The yarn feels so nice and soft while working with it too.

Eek, I started Emma's quilt last night and already loathe the project. I have everything cut out and I started serging the first two rows but don't like how the colours/placement of the prints look so I think another trip to the fabric store and a rethink about placement might be in order- buying a Dora comforter would have been so much easier and cheaper

 

[princessellie]

i might have a crochet longie pattern for you babe, what size do you want? mine fits 3-9months (maybe longer but thats what size naomie is in now so i cant say it fits bigger than that cos i dont know for sure lol) x

 

[cheese lover]

that size would be perfect! my LO is 5 months and in 6 or 6-9 month pants.
thanks!

 

[princessellie]

rightio, send me ur email and i'll send it to you, you can be my pattern tester too cos ive been wanting to put it on my blog but im not sure if its 100% right, i normally wing it a bit when im making my own, even when i use my pattern haha

they fit my LO with room to spare so they should last a while...you can let me know how long they fit for so i can do accurate age haha x

 

[LockandKey]

I only wish I was at least somewhat crafty, I think the only thing I was ever able to do was decorate DD's room, and write a decent short story

Kind of have a hankering to try making headbands for little girls

 

[JellyBeann]

I'm going to make LO a MASSIVE quilt next Christmas! Hopefully I'll be pregnant/have a small baby by then, so I'll make 2 of them then! I want the quilt to be kingsize bed sized, so he can use it all his life! And maybe pass it on to his oldest!

 

[Kaites]

^^ start now, lol!

Seriously though, I do wish I'd been more organized with Emma's birthday quilt- I'm now finished the top part of it and just need to attach the batting and backing (the batting part will be a bit tedious) but it took way longer than I anticipated and I reached a point where I had to stop being exact about squares lining up and just get it done so although I'm happy enough with it, I'm sure a real quilter wouldn't be too impressed

Having a quilt last "forever" is a lovely idea though

 

[imagine13]

Imagine- I love our cotton liners since you can pretty much do anything (boil, bleach, etc.) to them and they'll live to tell the tale. Ikea here do cheap cotton bar towels for 49cents and they work great tri-folded I also love bamboo fleece- serge a double layer square and then trifold them in the diapers- faster drying and get cleaner than a 6 layer insert (although some people prefer not to have to trifold and would rather a 6 layer insert)

Thank you I think I will try a mix of what you've suggested on my teeny nappies and see what works best for our little poo monster!

I have learned to crochet and am making a pram blanket in purple - can't stop making stuff

Does anyone know what is good to make a swaddle blanket from? I have loads of fleece material. Is that too thick/thin? She's due in Feb so will be cold.