Cloth diaper sweat shop … I mean retreat

cloth diapers, Babyville Boutique, DiaperSewingSupplies.com, alova suede cloth, mircofiber terry cloth

They’re done! All 36 cloth diapers are assembled, the PUL has been resealed and they are neatly arranged in the changing table dresser.

I finished this monumental task over the weekend at quilt retreat, where I didn’t actually do any quilting, but did enjoy the company of plenty of women who did. They all had advice to share on child rearing, which was followed with, “Take it all in and then do what works for you.”

I was really worried I wasn’t going to finish the diapers at retreat. I got stuck at work late Friday night, so by the time I got there, ate and got set up, I only had an hour or so to sew. Then most of Saturday was spent still attaching the elastic to the the back pocket of the diapers (which is the third to last step).

cloth diapers, Babyville Boutique, DiaperSewingSupplies.com, alova suede cloth, mircofiber terry cloth

Once I got to the final two steps, sewing on the leg elastic and turning and top stitching the diapers, I decided to abandon my assembly line sewing method and do the final two steps for each color and print set. I figured that way I’d at least have something to show for my weekend.

But seeing the finished product really spurred me on. I didn’t have my first completely finished diaper until 3 p.m. on Saturday, but by the time I called it quits at 9:30 p.m. to watch “Grease” (a quilt retreat tradition complete with a sing-a-long) I had 27 diapers done. I was completely finished by 9:30 the next morning.

I was so revealed to have this big task done. After all, if I don’t finish the crib skirt in time, it’s not really the end of the world. But diapers are pretty essential.

cloth diapers, Babyville Boutique, DiaperSewingSupplies.com, alova suede cloth, mircofiber terry cloth

I still do have to sew the soakers that will go inside the diaper pocket and absorb the moisture. I’ve got two dozen cut out, but am waiting to start sewing until my neighbor can teach me how to use her serger, which she is letting me borrow to make the task go faster. But the hard part is definitely over.

And since I always get asked this question, I used the Babyville Boutique pattern for an all-in-two diaper for this project. I modified the front tabs to be square instead of rounded because I prefer the look and it made it easier to place the Velcro. I purchased the majority of my supplies from DiaperSewingSupplies.com, including alova suede cloth for the wicking layer, microfiber terry cloth for the soakers and, of course, PUL for the outer layer.

Oh and just a fair warning to all my Instagram followers, there may have been a few jokes about featuring a daily butt shot to see which of these adorable prints my kid is wearing. That joke may become reality.

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Comment (5)

  1. What is resealing the PUL? My mom swims everyday at the Y, so I bought 1/2 yard of PUL to make a wet bag for her to carry her bathing suit in. Is this something I should know about?

    Bring on the butt shots—if you can include those darling rolls of chub they have on their thighs before they start walking, that is just all the better!

    1. Every time you put a needle through PUL it makes a hole that compromises the waterproof quality of the fabric. So when you’re done with the project, you have to put it in the dryer on high heat for 30 minutes to reseal the needles holes made from stitching. I imagine this will be a bigger deal with diapers where moisture could possibly travel out to clothing than a wet bag where the wetness is contained in a swimsuit that has been wrung out.

      And I’m glad there are others excited about the butt shots 🙂

      1. Thanks for the info. I think I will get a piece of printed PUL and make a simple drawstring bag with the print outside and a plain white lining. I was going to use oilcloth for the exterior and make a big zipper pouch, but I think it will be better to do the whole project in PUL since it has to go in the dryer.

  2. How are the diapers working out? Is there anything you might have done differently? I got my pattern and fabric recently and was getting ready to start making some diapers.

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