Lots of Diapers

So it's been a few months since I posted my latest sewing designs. I've been making newborn diapers for friends who were expecting. Diapers for Joel. And mama pads for me. No pictures of the mama pads. But I am excited about getting more made. I recently bought a drill press and dies and converting it to a snap press. I am in love with snapping. I've also learned how to serge diapers better and am loving the simplicity and quickness in not turning and topstitching. Here's my latest results.




These are two NB fitted diapers I made using the mamabird pattern. They have internal soakers. The green one is made with an old fleece shirt of mine and is SO soft. I made a diaper with Joel and fleece pants previously with that. The purple/blue diaper I just love. All cotton outer, but is so pretty. I used piping around the velcro for a more finished look.



This white diaper is using the free Darling Diaper Newborn pattern. I used an old white t-shirt. It has an internal soaker of two layers and a 4 layer snap in soaker. For 8 total layers. This is SO stretchy. It doesn't actually fit Joel very well... seeing how he's 11 months old, not a newborn. But it was so stretchy that the snaps worked on the tightest setting, top row and his small tushie fit in the back. I can't wait to have more babies to make more of these.


And.... Fattycakes!!





These are all my fattycakes that I've been working on. The first one I turned and topstitched and put the elastic in the seam allowance. The others I used hidden elastic, then serged. That is the way I prefer. These are all pockets. (notice the last one has his night time stuffing sticking out? we fixed that before bed...) These are all fitteds and need a cover. But I have some cute PUL to make some waterproof ones. I have enjoyed making these. The snaps are fun and the pocket opening has so much room for stuffing. They make really nice night diapers. I just need to get some matching suedecloth or microfleece so it keeps Joel drier at night. Just using the fleece liners keeps him dry in the front only, not the sides.

Rita's Rump Cover

Been staring at this fleece sweater all week on my table. Finally got the nerve to cut into it. I knew it would be a cute cover, but I always get nervous cutting, like I'm going to mess up. Then, once it was cut I had to wait because I only had white touchtape. I had red coming, and definately glad I waited for the red. Since this is a cover, no pocket opening. I sewed it up, then realized i forgot to leave an opening to turn it back the right way. I had to wait until Joel was asleep, because in the sling he was very grabby and this dark fleece with black thread and a baby in front of me was not easy to sew, let alone frog. The end result....



The picture is a little dark, but I do really like this diaper cover. I wish I could topstitch better. The opening where I turn it inside out never looks right. grr. This diaper uses leg elastic sewn on the outside diaper layer, so it turns inward. Supposedly this is for "poop containment." We'll see. Then the back elastic I put on the inside diaper layer so it rolls away from baby. I used granny tabs for the tabs. I didn't use the piping, didn't have any, but oh it would look nice if I had, and red thread instead of black. (can you tell I'm a little bit of a perfectionist...) There is hook on one side, and loop on the other to give it a smaller fit. This fleece is SO stretchy. I am putting Joel in a Rita's Rump Pocket with this cover when he wakes from his nap so I can see how well this fits him. If it's nice with room to grow (it's supposedly one size) I will be making more of these. I have a white fleece sweater and several wool sweaters that would be nice for this wrap.

I love my Katrina's pattern I've been making, but this one will be easier to get on and off a squirmy 9 month old. :D

Newborn Fitted

Feeling the love to share my sewing abilities. Here's a newborn diaper I made for a friend of mine who recently decided to cloth diaper her 4th baby, who will be here soon. I tried SO hard not to mess up, but I still did. But it turned out beautiful anyway. This material is thanks to Wallypop utilizing freecycle. I have one more of this type of material. Different pattern. Can't wait to use it. I wish all the diapers I made for Joel were this rich in color.

This diaper is a modified mamabird pattern. I did the elastic all on the seam allowance, even the back elastic. Then, for the soaker, I have a hidden 3rd layer that is where the soaker is attached to. I find I just don't like all the thread visible on the inside. So I used an old terry baby robe, and sewed on that. I topstitched the whole diaper except the leg elastic, to allow it a softer rollout. The leg elastic was sewn only on the inner suedecloth, before sewing the diaper together. The back elastic sewn on the whole seam allowance.

Making the newborn diapers tempts me for another little one. But, I still have my little one and he still wakes several times a night. So, we're still living that one up to God. :)

Winter Cloth Doll

Made my first Waldorf doll. Turned out cute. Head looks like a potato. :) Stuffed too little, then tied the strings too tight. Oh well. The clothes make it all ok though. I think it'd be better without a face, so the face doesn't look so high.

Wee Weka Side Snap (Velcro really) ML

Here it is. It is even more pretty in real life. It fits Joel wonderfully. It actually fits him on the smallest size so definately room to grow with this one. This is made with flannel outside and suedecloth inside.

My husband has yet another style of diaper to figure out how to use...the side velcro. hee hee.

I'm glad I figured out to put the elastic on the seam allowance. no wonder all my diapers prior turned out wonky. :D

Another Soaker

LOVE how this one turned out. If you want to see what my cousin did with the rest of the sweater, check out Denise's link off to the side. This one's a medium.



I'm working on a fitted right now from weeweeka (is that right? looks funny). we'll see. it's side closing, not sure if i have enough snaps i want to brave it on, or just stick to touchtape, which isn't preferred for side snapping.

Camping with Cloth

So most of these are store boughten, but this weekend we went camping. It was a pack in, pack out place, so we decided to bring our cloth. Yes, we packed them all in an army duffle bag, threw them inside the kayak, then kayaked across the river with them all. Then hikes another 100 feet with all of our stuff.

But the view from our campsite was gorgeous.


And there's our tent way at the bottom of the hill.

Sewn soaker

I found a new pattern that I really like to sew.
Katrina's Sew Quick Soaker Pattern

I used a medium for Joel right now, who is almost 9 months old. I found the rise was just perfect, maybe a tad short though for motherease diapers. But I have found those things being a one size diaper have a really high rise in the back. I have struggled to get any cover over the backs of those except for ones with elastic and the airflow covers.

Finished Longies!

I finally finished my first pair of knitted longies. Not too bad for a first timer. My knitting wasn't the best. I didn't like the way the short rows turned out. One leg is a little longer than the other. But it's all a little too big for Joel right now, but fits him good. So he'll be able to wear them for a while.






And in action...

Kizoodle

My "off topic" posting. :) I found a new website. www.kizoodle.com It is a trade site for mom's. Where you use kizoodles to "buy" items with. For signing up, you get 5 kizoodles and if you use code MKZPW1 when filling out your My Kizoodle page, you receive an extra 2 kizoodles. Check it out.

Dyeing and more needlework

I decided to pull out the kool-aid. And dyed the last soaker using 2 orange, and one lemonade. I also knit another one, with bigger needles and more stitches. Then dyed it with 3 lime flavored kool-aid. I also crocheted using this (http://heavenlyangelsinneed.com/patterns/Yvonne's%20pants%20pattern.pdf) pattern. But it ended up seeming really small and instead of pants, are more like shorties. Probably because my baby isn't a newborn anymore.

Here's these 3.



Now I'm working on some longies using Yarny Bits pattern. (http://community.livejournal.com/yarny_bits/89662.html) I don't like how the short rows leave holes. Next time I'm going to find a better way to do them. I've read online how you can "hide" them. But I don't want to switch my pattern now that I've gotten started on it.



I've also been working on diapers. Found a new pattern. Rita's Rump Pocket. (http://www.jordanpaperarts.com/tana/diapers/RRP/Ritas-Rump-Pocket-Pattern.htm) I enjoy making these. My favorite is the one with the leaves. Inside was an old fleece sweater of mine. It's SO soft. I think I'm going to add touchtape to these though. I have a squirmy baby these days and even one pin through a lot of fabric just doesn't work these days.



And lastly for now... my fun diaper. I just HAD to make a diaper from this material. I only had enough for a newborn diaper. So I did that, even though I don't know when I'll be able to use it now. I used the mamabird fitted pattern, but I turned this into a waterproof pocket. It had PUL hidden layer and blue flannel on the inside. I don't care for the way the touchtape sewn on, but otherwise, I love this diaper! I learned to sew the elastic on the seam allowance instead of the diaper. Then if you don't encase it, it rolls nicely outwards. And here I thought I didn't have time for sewing anymore... :)

First Soaker!

My first knitted soaker. I used the Ottobre soaker pattern. Lionbrand Fisherman's wool and size 8 needles. I thought it was going to be WAY too small for my 16 LB little man, but it even fits his chunky thighs. :)



I'm definately making more of these! I may even learn about Kool-aid dyeing.

Another diaper in Action

Compare the little legs in the previous post to Joel's chubby legs now. :D This is one of my favorite diapers. I used the darling diaper pattern, but instead of turn and topstitch, I used foe. It needed a little longer tabs, but not bad.

In Use!

Now that Joel is here, and we are out of our newborn stash of disposables I can finally start using my cloth. I would have sooner, but my mother in law bought 2 more packages of newborn sposies. And, well, they don't stay that small for long, so I had to use them up last week. But... here's one picture of him in a fitted. They definately need the covers as Joel sure likes to soak them. About one an hour I think, unless he's sleeping. Guess I'll be doing lots of laundry. :)