Pocket Fitted Tutorial

I have gotten a few requests to show how I make my diapers. This is what I had in mind when I started the blog in the first place. Enjoy!

First choose your pattern. I really like this pattern and I transferred it to an old box. It's the Onesize pattern.

Make sure that the stretch of your fabric goes across the hips of the diaper. Cut out the fabric (an inner and outer fabric). I like using the rotary cutter because it is easier than marking the pattern and cutting with scissors.

Now add snaps. I add an extra piece of my fabric on the back to help reinforce the snaps.

The front side.

Or sew some loop velcro to the outside(this diaper still needs the rise snaps though). Rounded edges look and feel nicer in my opinion.

This is the diaper I'm sewing together. I've had it ready to sew together for a few months. I only had enough material to have half of the fabric so I cut out what I could from the fabric. I then cut another piece so I could have a whole diaper and sewed together the 2 pieces.

Since the outside is flannel I added a hidden layer of fleece to help with absorbency.

I cut in the seam allowance at the back elastic markings to make my pocket.

Then measure your elastic by stretching it between the 2 cuts and cut just a little more elastic off. Just in case you measured wrong and have a little allowance.

I use a 3 step zig-zag sitch set to 1.5 width and tack it down just on the ends. This means you sew and back-stitch over the elastic only on the end. I like to make sure to sew and back-stitch at least 4 times. Sew it on the wrong side of the material.

This is what it looks like tacked down.

Fold over the material wrong sides together and sew a channel along the edge of the top material. Make sure you don't catch the elastic as you sew otherwise your elastic won't stretch like it should.

The right side looks like this when you are done.

Do the same thing to your outer material.

Line up the material so that the seams of the elastic match up. Put a few pins in it to hold the material in place. Then sew from the edge of one of the openings to the other end. I try to keep the presser foot as my guide along the edge of the fabric.

What it looks like when sewn together.

Now measure your elastic for the legs and front and tack it down on the ends. It will look like this when it is done.

Trim around the edges for nicer turning.

Turn it right side out and try to get the corners looking nice.

Here it is fully turned.

I start at the edge of the elastic pocket to top stitch.

First I reinforce the elastic one more time before top stitching. Then I turn the diaper and top stitch.

Feel for the beginning of your elastic and move the diaper so that you don't catch the elastic with your stitching. I feel for the elastic before stretching and sewing a casing around the elastic. When you get to the end of the elastic, move the diaper back over so you are back to sewing close to the edge.

Your diaper is top stitched. Now you are almost finished.

Using your awl make holes where the pattern shows to put the snaps. Or you can sew the velcro on right now. Sew the hook closest to the edge of the wings and then sew a piece of loop about 1/2 inch away to use as laundry tabs.

My lovely snap pliers.


Don't the snaps look lovely? Now make sure all the snaps work and don't come off.

Stuff your diaper. I use either a trifolded prefold or microfiber auto towel to stuff.

And there is your completed pocket fitted diaper.

Various crafts

I got just a little burned out on making diapers. I still have a bunch cut out and ready to be sewn together. I decided that I need to make some things for Baby Sister (only 5 more weeks) so I tried my hand at a car seat canopy.

This one is actually for another baby as a shower gift but I plan on making one for me too. I used this really easy tutorial to make it and it only took me an afternoon (or it should have if I had sewn the straps on that day :P)

For the baby shower gift I also made a receiving blanket and I love the stitching on it. I had to use another sewing machine to do the sewing though. I made a matching one for Baby Sister but I made hers with rag edges (no pics of that one yet but it is finished).

new diapers

I still haven't made anything lately but I have a few older things that I haven't taken pictures of yet.

My first newborn diaper - it is so small. I made it using the Cloth Revolution pattern.

with a contoured snap in soaker


and a few other diapers.

Little Sister loves this owl diaper she picks it to wear every time it is clean.

Little Sister modeling my newest diaper. Fleece and cotton on the outer with suede cloth inner - another pocket fitted. It would be just a pocket if I had added another full layer of fleece under the whole thing. Oh and I made this one with a fold down rise and snappiable.

the front

and the back. I need to get a picture of the inside of this diaper - I made a sham almost like the Bum Genius except that it is too low and hard to get the insert out when the diaper has poop in it.

Slacker

Wow I've been a slacker lately. Life with 2 kiddos and another one on the way is busy. I've been trying to make time to make diapers when the kids are sleeping but I end up sleeping the afternoon away too. I have been busy making diapers though - mostly to trade with other ladies though so none of the diapers I've made are on my kids. Plus the house has gone through a bad case of stomach flu and the kiddos have been mostly in sposies this week :(

I'll be back later and post pics of my most recent creations.

Dolce Diapers

Little Sister wasn't a very happy model for the diaper.


Actions shots of the back

front while standing no gapping in front.

the front fit of the diaper

Big Brother had to show off his fleece pants that match the diaper. He wore these to bed over the diaper. It looks a little fluffier than what he normally wears but he likes it.

He looks happy about the diaper

no gapping in the crotch

Showing off how great the fit in the butt is.

I'm testing a new diaper for my kids. It is called the Dolce diaper. The Mama is a WAHM and is trying to get her business started. The Grand Opening is on March 15th! When I first got the diaper Big Brother grabbed it and just held on to it like he does with his blankie. He didn't want to let go. I don' t blame him it was so soft and squishy and the stretch is great. I made sure to get the snapless Dolce diaper so that I could fit it on both kids. I tried the diaper on both kids - Big Brother wore his overnight and had a small leak but that was probably because of me not prepping it enough first (I only washed it once before putting it on him). Little Sister got to wear it twice - the first time we had a snappi problem and the whole diaper came off. The 2nd time she wore the diaper it stayed on longer and I was able to get pictures. We had some errands to run so she was in the diaper with a Thirsties Duo Wrap and then had some overalls on top of that for about 3 hours. She was struggling to get up off of the floor (you know stand up) and I think the overalls were a little too snug on her. I folded the rise down for her so that she didn't have it over her belly button.

I like the fit on both kids and I love the print and so does Big Brother - "girlie" colors doesn't bother him at all.

Trying out new patterns

I've been trying out new patterns because I like variety. I love the One*der Snap pattern and I use this pattern all the time. However, I tried a pocket with PUL for the first time using the One*der pattern. I like how it looks but the material is woven cotton so it wicks just a little in the legs. I'm still going to use the diaper though I need more "girly" diapers because I found out I'm having another Baby Girl.

The yellow one is the Oneder snap and the purple is the Tighty Whitey Hipster.
Little Sister got to try out the Tighty Whitey Hipster in a size Med. It fits her great (no action shots of her in that diaper though) and I made it out of cotton knit outer with a hidden layer of knit and 4 layers of birdseye sown in soaker with crushed panne inner. It is soft and trim but I add one of my trifolded microfiber and flannel soakers as a lay in soaker and it seems to work better that way.

I also tried the Quick Snap Flap Wrap pattern last night. It has a knit outer and crushed panne inner but I added a microfiber/flannel soaker to the inside. I made a large and it was very large. The pattern doesn't call for elastic but there is a tutorial on Diaper Sewing Divas board that shows how to put elastic in. I think I'll try the pattern again at least one more time and see if it fits better. Maybe I need to make a smaller size for Big Brother. There was some serious gapping in the leg on him.





I also made a Minky diaper cover with an extra layer of fleece inside just in case of leaks. I made a large sized Baa Baa Baby Cover and it fits Big Brother. I have more material in Pink Camo for Little Sister's cover and I want to get some more Pink Camo for Baby Sister when she comes. I love finding deals - I got the Minky (ok the store calls it Cuddle Fabric) and the large I mad from a Fat Quarter and the others are just the right size for the Fat Sixth material so I can get cute Minky for 1 cover with some left over at my local craft store.

I'm still here

I am still here and making diapers but I don't make a lot of time to do it or blog. My computer has a bad virus on it so there are no pictures for a while :(

I made a cover using 1 layer of minky fabric and an inner layer of fleece just to make sure it didn't leak. It works awesome and big brother likes his soft cover.

Last night I tried the Tighty Whitey Hipster diaper pattern and I think it turned out pretty good. I still need to put snaps on it and then see if the med I made will fit on my chunky little sister. If I like the fit I may make more for the new baby in a size small since my babies haven't been smaller than 8.5lbs.