Recently I was asked to make a new diaper design. Diapers are always my favorite patterns to work on, so I eagerly took the opportunity!
My client wanted an AIO cloth diaper. That's "all in one" if you don't know. All in one simply means that you can literally take it out of the washing machine and put it on your baby. Nothing to remove, nothing to add, nothing to pin or snappy. An AIO is literally ALL IN ONE.
I like AIOs, but since 2009 I have put them on the back burner and I've been using ai2's. I'm sure that I'll write about the details on that sometime, but for now, we'll put a pin in it.
I forgot how much I loved the cushy feel of an AIO. The ease of use. Oh my! Just put it on and go!
My client wanted an extra insert/doubler that would snap in. I liked that idea and ran with it. This doubler would be perfect for naptime or night time and would fit perfectly into this diaper!
They have sergers that they are planning on sewing with, but don't worry....I made the pattern compatible with a regular sewing machine. If you have a zig zag stitch you can whip out these doublers without any issues at all!
I wanted to give them something that was ACTUALLY aio though, so I wanted to make sure that the sewn in soaker would be adequate. In so many patterns that I've seen, the soaker is so small (so it's not too bulky), that you actually HAVE to use an extra insert/doubler to make it work properly. I didn't want my customers or their customers to have to worry about that, so you'll find the perfect size attached soaker with perfect placement marks included in this pattern.
My client originally wanted something that was a two part system that went all the way down to 5 lbs. They weren't entirely realizing though that a baby at potty training age is frequently around 30-35 lbs. That's a huge range. As wonderful as it seemed initially, I found that it's just not feasible to put a 35 lb diaper range that fits a 5 lb preemie. After a couple talks and some working on it though, we got the pattern situated to be a 7-16 lb small size and a 15-35 lb large size.
It's fantastic.
But don't worry, I kept my original plan on the newborn diaper, which fits 5-12 lbs. I'll be making an entirely separate pattern/tutorial for that.
You'll notice that all of the pictures have snaps. Yes. This design is a snap only one. However, if you are in love with velcro, feel free to alter it to suit your needs! I just find that snaps hold up better to wriggling toddlers and multiple washings. They might be a little more tedious to put on initially, but well worth it.
I have an excellent source that I buy snaps from and I share that on my "supplies I love" page.
Once we had the system sizes worked out, from there I was perfecting the shape. The legs will always fit nice and snug without leaking. The back has a wonderful amount of elastic in it as well. Because of the sewn in soaker, it has a rigid, yet pleasant feel that I'm sure you will love to put your baby in.
On my first trial, I put this diaper on my baby Elijah. He's 25 lbs. This is the size Large diaper and it's rise is unsnapped. He isn't walking yet, so once he starts, I'm sure that I will have to adjust the rise and waist as he slims down.
Did I mention that the rise has snap downs on both the small and the large? The rise adjusts from 14.5, 16, 16.5, 17.7, and 19. WHOA! Talk about perfect fit for any baby!
oh those chubby baby legs. I could just eat him up!
On such a busy baby, this diaper has to do the trick of staying put. My client was certain that it needed hip snaps, and I put them on the pattern. However, after wriggling and crawling, and crazy days, I found that the hip snap wasn't necessary...and in fact, it was kind of a pain to put on - so don't worry! I won't make you put it on in this design.
Will you look at that snazzy profile!
That's a beautiful diaper if I do say so myself!
All in all, I love this design!
If you are just starting to cloth diaper, this is an excellent way to get your feet wet, or even make an entire stash! You'll love that there's only two sizes to worry about, which will save time and money (instead of making 4-6 sizes)
Click the image below to see the new AIO Diaper pattern up and running!
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