-The DIY club-

[NDH]

Another nappy done tonight it went heaps better and only took an hour and a half to finish completely (starting with cut and pinned fabric) and I know I'll get faster too. If I can keep getting one done per day I'll be done in no time

Also planning out a few pretties to make my daughter in my head .

 

[NDH]

Progress pic:
https://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a175/Roshinda/Saranna/IMG_20130218_155311_zps4d93cdcd.jpg
3 finished, 3 needing top stitching and stud snaps, 6 needing elastics (one of those 6 also needs to be completely done. I sewed it but then unpicked the whole thing which took longer than sewing six of them up lol).

Waiting on dyes and then I'll dye cotton Velour for the routers of the 6 fitteds I'm doing.

 

[NDH]

Omi, how are you going with your nappy making?

I just found this blog yesterday and found it super helpful so though I would share it here for you and anyone else who may want to make newborn nappies. It compares all the patterns available for newborn nappies, free and paid,which I had no idea there were so many! Plus there are tips for absorbency etc.

https://www.mamakatdiapers.blogspot.com.au/

 

[NDH]

My latest project I just started working on:

https://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a175/Roshinda/Saranna/IMG_20130306_092530_zps3b75b7da.jpg

This one isn't for me but I love it so much I think I'll have to make another one! My grandma asked me to make a nappy cover for her great niece who just had a baby. Its going to have black snaps, and if I'm brave enough, a flower applique under the detachable ruffle.

Not done with newborn nappies yet - I have the inserts cut and ready to sew and still waiting on good weather to dye the cotton Velour for my fitteds. Will get back to it when this latest project is finished

 

[misspriss]

I was looking at fitted diapers trying to figure out how they cost so much, so I googled make your own fitted diapers and found tons of patterns. I am interested in some patterns for turning prefolds into fitteds and picked up some preloved prefolds on my lunch break to try out...

Then I started thinking about things I have around the house and if I could make some diapers out of those. I have a ton (well not a ton, but compared to diaper or insert size, a ton) of bath towels. We got a ton of bath towels that I hated the color of when we moved in together and had our housewarming, so they went into storage and we have slowly used them for dog towels.

What I wondered was, can I make diapers out of these? Or would they make better inserts only? I know they aren't the most absorbent for space it takes up, but the price is good....

Also, can you make fleece covers out of fleece blankets/throws? I bought the dog two blankets on clearance after Christmas and gave him one, but he likes to eat it too much, so could I make fleece covers from them? Just wondering!!

 

[NDH]

Yes you can use towels, t-shirts, anything like that you have around the house. As you said they won't be as absorbent for the bulk but they'll just require more frequent changing.

I believe you can use fleece blankets - you'll probably want another layer in the wetzone though.

 

[misspriss]

Yes you can use towels, t-shirts, anything like that you have around the house. As you said they won't be as absorbent for the bulk but they'll just require more frequent changing.

I believe you can use fleece blankets - you'll probably want another layer in the wetzone though.

Good! The pattern I have found online calls for an additional layer in the wetzone, so I was already planning on it.

I ran into an issue already, I'm going to need an extra fabric for my pre-folds to fitteds since I don't have a serger, to turn and topstich.

Also on the towels, I will want something smoother between baby and towel, I can only imagine poop in the terry loops! I am thinking of making a couple of towel-based fitteds, to try...since they are just laying around! Also, I plan to make some inserts, making sure to keep something smooth to encounter the poopies!

Also I will probably want to cover the terry for the fraying anyway...

 

[NDH]

Flannel or a T-shirt would be fine as a non-stay dry inner for a terry fitted.

 

[princessellie]

What I would do is make a couple of terry inserts and when its finished serge a layer of fleece just along the top, as a built in liner. I've done that with a few and it works out fine. As for fleece covers out of thin fleece. You're much better off with thicker fleece for covers so I'd probably suggest making the whole thing double layered, with one more layer in the wetzone. I'd hate for you to go to all of the trouble and then find it doesnt work x

 

[misspriss]

What I would do is make a couple of terry inserts and when its finished serge a layer of fleece just along the top, as a built in liner. I've done that with a few and it works out fine. As for fleece covers out of thin fleece. You're much better off with thicker fleece for covers so I'd probably suggest making the whole thing double layered, with one more layer in the wetzone. I'd hate for you to go to all of the trouble and then find it doesnt work x

Well, I don't have a serger, so....The blanket fleece is pretty thick, I don't think it would work in the context of liners. Surprizingly, we do not have many old t-shirts. I mean yeah they are old, but DH still wears them! (seriously, he still wears shirts he work in junior high...) But I think there are a couple, I got some free from work for a competition they did that was dated (as in the 2011 competition) so they couldn't reuse. Maybe I could find some more like that...

I may try one single layered with wetzone and one double layered with wetzone, and then just wait for baby to try it out...

 

[misspriss]

Okay so I have my pattern for the fleece soakers, I have my blanket (prewashed it last night to get any chemicals off) and I have my poly thread (I read somewhere to use poly thread on poly..idk if it makes that big of difference) but since I am sitting at work bored out of my mind, I decided to measure to guesstimate how many soakers I can get from this blanket.

From raw measurements, I can get TWELVE soakers! But assuming some inaccuracies in measurements or stuff like that, I will say Ten. Still, TEN from a blanket I had laying around, so essentially free? Nice. Now, If I want to double the body (it would be two layers all over and three in wet zone) I could get EIGHT. That is still a lot! But I picked up a solid black remnant of fleece at Hobby Lobby for about $2 that I would probably use for double layering, save the print...but then I would end up with a ton of the same print... I may do the double layer (get 8) out of print, and use some of the leftover print for cuffs on the solid black? Sounds good. So I am guessing maybe another 4 out of the black if I do it that way. Super cheap.

I am using this pattern: https://katrinassqs.blogspot.com/2007/10/free-soaker-pattern.html

I am making equal numbers of NB and small. I am afraid NB may be too small for LO when born (I was 8lb 10 oz at birth!) but I don't want to not have NB and just have small in case I need it, and if the NB is too small I will probably just give them to an expecting friend who plans to CD, after all it is practically free for me to make them....

Dude this blanket was super cheap on clearance too, that's why I bought it for the dog! Cheaper than buying fabric from the fabric store! I think it's too late to find any more on clearance though I'll keep my eyes peeled!

I also picked up some flannel to cover my towel based-diapers, since we don't have a TON of old t-shirts (I swear, DH still wears his old ones, and I don't keep "t-shirts"), and some swimwear elastic. They had a snap press for $20 and some diaper snaps (they were actually marketed as diaper snaps!) I have always avoided snaps because they looked hard, but also honestly because I hear the fit is better with a snappi or something anyway, more customizable. And the soakers are pull-on, so no snaps there!

 

[princessellie]

You got some bargains there!!

I wouldnt worry about not having a serger, you can use the zigzag stitch set on a short length, long width stitch to get a decent overlock stitch and some machines actually have a special overlock stitch. I know mine doesnt so I always use zigzag round the edges and it works perfectly x

 

[princessellie]

Actually, since all you would be doing was attaching fleece to a ready made insert, you could just do a straight stitch over the top since fleece doesn't fray x

 

[NDH]

Wow crazy bargains! You'll love the snap press. Snaps are so useful to put on so many things too!

 

[misspriss]

Well I didn't end up buying the snap press yet, since I didn't plan to put snaps on my diapers, and I was worried at that price it may not be good? I hadn't priced them or even looked into it so I have no idea if they were any good, ya know! (You should have seen me trying to pick out elastic...)

 

[NDH]

Are they pliers or a table top press? Pliers are fine for occasional use. Its about $15-20 on eBay for pliers with 150 nap sets. A press new here costs about $60 but I got mine for half price during the nappy hunt in September.

 

[misspriss]

Are they pliers or a table top press? Pliers are fine for occasional use. Its about $15-20 on eBay for pliers with 150 nap sets. A press new here costs about $60 but I got mine for half price during the nappy hunt in September.

They are pliers, about $20.

 

[NDH]

Oh OK. If you did decide to use snaps down the road you could do a little bit better on eBay anyway.

Here are my snaps - just got the storage for them so I like how pretty they look lol.

https://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a175/Roshinda/Saranna/IMG_20130308_104044_zpsb22ad2ee.jpg.

(6 of the drawers contain spare socket sets so its not as many as it looks lol. The 13 labeled colours are size 16 snaps so too small for diapers, and then 9 colours in size 20). I'm addicted to my snaps and have been going around finding things to snap

 

[lilbeanhoping]

Hi ladies..I'm going to try making my own bandana style bibs. I haven't sewn since I was a kid so hopefully I can figure it out lol.
Anyone have any suggestions for a place to get free patterns?
Can I use snaps without having that fancy machine I see u have there ^? I was hoping to make them with snaps not Velcro.
Any suggestions for types of fabric? Im planning to do a PUL backing...I hate how all his bibs don't have a waterproof back so kind of defeat the purpose of keeping his shirts/skin dry!

Thanks

 

[NDH]

Not sure about bib patterns.

For materials something like a terry fabric would be good. Its absorbent and the loops will keep the drool from rolling right off. I've used some cotton topped ones and they don't absorb well. Flannel top would be OK too.

You don't need a big snap press like the one I have, you can use pliers too like these https://www.ebay.com.au/sch/i.html?_trksid=p5197.m570.l1313&_nkw=kam+snap+pliers&_sacat=0&_from=R40
Or you can use the metal kind that you hammer in. Buttons are another alternative to Velcro or snaps.