Recycle a t-shirt into a baby shirt

It's so close to summer. My Elijah has been proving to be a terror on his wardrobe. This child wants to play hard so I need to make him some clothes that won't break my heart if he ruins them.

My inner "freak out" is usually associated with expensive clothing, or clothes that take me a while to make. So I am combating that by making him shorts and cut offs out of t-shirts! In fact, I found a new way to whip out my baby cut off t-shirt even faster by recycling the binding of the existing t-shirt. I even made a video for you. :)

**Please know that my tutorial in the baby cut off tank top pattern DOES show you how to properly attach binding to the neckline, as well as finish any edges. This video is simply a pattern adaption to whip out my sweetheart some play clothes. 

What type of cloth diapers should I use?

At one point I had an article on different types of cloth diapers, but I can't find it! I've recently had a friend who is asking about the types of diapers out there, and what I think that she should sew for her new grandbaby. This is the perfect, short but sweet, list of what you want to know about the new cloth diaper systems available today. There are many more options available, such as wool, but I do not discuss that here. These are the basics.

Step 1. 

Decide where the diapering is going to be taking place. If you are going to be taking your baby into a day care, or if you are on the go all the time, cloth diapering is still an option. If you are home with the baby most of the time, you can try out a myriad of different products to see what you like the most, before committing to an entire stash of one type of diaper.

Step 2. 

Consider your cost. Diapering babies is expensive. Disposable diapers are an incredible expense. A few years ago, I did a cost comparison article between disposable diapers and one size, pocket, cloth diapers. Prices may have changed some since it was written, but it is still a very good comparison. You can see the article on disposable vs cloth diapering costs here. *I have learned and discovered even better cost options for cloth diapers since this article was written. I'll be discussing that below.

Step 3.

Consider your options of cloth diaper types. There are many, MANY types of cloth diapers available. All of those types have options as well. I'll be discussing the main types as well as my favorites here. You can sew your own with many different cloth diaper patterns, but before you buy, know what you want!

All In One diapers (AIO)

This is what most cloth diaper users gravitate toward when they are starting to cloth diaper their babies. An all in one diaper is literally, "all in one". The diaper is sized similarly to the sizes of disposables, it's either velcro or snaps, and it has the 'soaker' built right in. There is usually a soft, fabric against the baby's skin which pulls moisture away from the body. There is a waterproof cover built right in. There is elastic in the legs, with or without gussets. There may or may not be a place to insert MORE 'soakers' inside the diaper itself. 

The Cons:
AIO diaper is typically the more expensive option because of how many diapers that the user needs. Because everything is built in, there is not the option to re-use the cover. This diaper is washed after every use. The sizes of the diaper range from 3-6, depending on the brand, and you'll need about 20-24 diapers per size. This is time consuming to make yourself, and expensive no matter which way you slice it. There is less adjust-ability for adding/removing soaker fabric for nap times or awake times.

The pros:

They feel like a disposable diapers to people who are new to cloth diapering. There is less room for error. The diapers fit great with each change, regardless of who is doing it. There isn't a need to 'educate' day care providers or husbands on how to use them, because they are easy, and straight forward.

All In Two diapers (AI2)

This is my favorite type of diaper system. An all in two is a diaper system in TWO parts. The soaking fabric and the cover. The soaking fabric can be elaborate, such as a diaper itself (also called a fitted), with wings and elastic and snaps, or it can be simple. A simple example would be a 'lay in' t-shirt, or prefold.

The cover is usually wipeable to use for many diaper changes until it's soiled. You don't have to wash the cover with every change. 

Cons:

It has a bit of a learning curve. You'll want to train caregivers or husband how to use them properly. 

Pros:

The covers last longer (The fabric for the cover is the most expensive part of the diapering system), the elastic in the legs lasts longer, they are faster to make because instead of 24 diapers, you only need about 12-15 covers, they are significantly cheaper than other types of diaper systems. AI2's are usually fast drying since the insides come apart (which is cheaper in electricity and better for the diapers in general). 

Pocket diapers

These are my second favorite. A pocket diaper is similar to an AIO, except the insert (soaker), is entirely removable. It usually needs to be removed before washing, but after washing, you stuff the soaker back into it and it becomes just like an AIO. This is the better option to an actual AIO because they are better washing and faster drying.

Cons:
Its gross to remove the soaker from the diaper after use sometimes. It takes a few extra minutes to stuff the soaker back into the pocket on washing day. You must change the entire diaper with each diaper change, which means that PUL (waterproof fabric), elastic, and velcro won't last as long.

Pros:
They are a great way to get the AIO functionality without sacrificing cleanliness. The soaker fabric can be made out of whatever you want, and if it's a folded soaker, it will open up, clean better, and dry faster. 

Step 4. 

Consider your options of features in the cloth diaper that you want.

One Size Diapers

One size diapers mean that they are 'one size fits all' from about 8 lbs to 32 lbs. This is an excellent option for people who are using the AI2 or the pocket diapering system. Typically there is a snap down rise, or adjustable, buttonhole elastic which allows the diapers to fit such a wide range. One size options are an excellent choice to keep costs and time spent sewing down to a minimum.

Get the One Size Fits All Diaper PatternHere

I have a TWO SIZE diaper system pattern available on my website that is a two size AIO. This is an option for the person who wants the convenience of the AIO without the cost of so many sizes. 

Get the Two Size AIO Diaper PatternHere

Gussets

Some people are crazy for gussets. I am not. I personally feel like they are bulky and unnecessary. I don't find that they hold in any extra 'stuff' more than un-gusseted diapers. If the fit is right, without gaps on the legs, you diaper will hold up exceptionally well without gussets. My pattern for the one size pocket diaper has an option of gussets though for the die-hard gusset lovers. :)

Elastic

Some diapers have FOE elastic, and some have hidden elastic. FOE stands for "fold over elastic" which is used on the edges of some diaper covers or diaper systems. It's usually quite soft and lasts quite a while. The FOE elastic usually goes around the entire diaper. 

The hidden elastic option is when the elastic is hidden inside a casing in the legs and back of diaper. This is my preferred elastic method. This is the easiest to replace if the elastic gets worn out after multiple babies. I also find that FOE elastic gets pilled and snags easily in the washing machine if you have any velcro on your diaper stash at all.

Foe around the entire diaper cover.
This cover also has extra gussets.

Snaps vs velcro

This cloth diaper cover desperately needs velcro replaced

Snaps are my favorite hands down. Velcro is nice for the person who is on the fence about cloth diapering and wants a good way to keep the diapers as close to disposable as possible. The problem with velcro is that IT IS DISPOSABLE itself.  After only a few washings, you will notice big time pilling in the velcro and that it needs to be replaced after only a short time. Plastic/resin snaps are incredible. They will outlast the diaper itself, they will look brand new until you stop using them. They are strong and toddlers can't remove them.

Snap in soakers and hip snaps

Some diaper brands are big on making theirs seem like the best with multiple options such as hip snaps and snap in soakers, and other snap like functionality. Don't buy into it. A hip snap is a snap that one puts on your baby's hip of the diaper to keep the front wings from 'sagging'. Sagging only happens when a diaper doesn't fit properly, or if it's loaded down with contents that need changing.

Snap in soakers seem good in theory, but it really is an unnecessary expense of time and bulk.

This shows the hip snap on a cloth diaper.

Snappis, boingo,

This is a snappi. It's excellent for using instead of pins if you wanted to attach a prefold to baby (instead of a lay in). They are very inexpensive from greenmountaindiapers.com

This is the boingo. These are great for attaching to a prefold or flat diaper to hold in place around baby.

Important notes for front loading washing machines

If you own or think that you will own a front loading washing machine, there are some tips that are very very important to know when choosing cloth diaper options. 

Up until I owned a front loader, I didn't know that it was any different for cloth diapering. It IS. This is what I have learned.

It's important to always remove soakers from pocket diapers. 

I never had to with my top loading machine. They agitated right out and got plenty clean before. With a top loader, there is less water used, so the soakers don't agitate out. They usually form a ball inside the pocket diaper and don't get entirely clean. 

Wash with very little soap

Oddly, you don't need very much detergent to clean cloth diapers in a front loader. I use about a tablespoon for an entire load, and sometimes I wonder if that's too much. I wash on hot/cold with the extra water function enabled. Then I do a repeat cycle WITHOUT soap to make sure it's all rinsed out. Every couple weeks, I will do ANOTHER repeat cycle to make sure that there are not suds in the diapers at all. If there are suds, I will repeat the 'soapless' cycle until the suds are non existent.
I also find that I never have to use bleach anymore, nor do I want to. Because the soap is so hard to rinse out, the bleach is as well....which is very very very hard on the fabrics in the diaper.

Try to have as many removable parts as possible

If you can manage to use a pocket instead of an AIO, do it. If you can use an AI2 instead of anything else, DO IT. If the soakers in the diaper can be folded into shape (like a prefold or tshirt) instead of serged together into a bulkier, more convenient shape, then go for the folded. The more 'removable' and 'open' your diaper can be, the quicker it will get clean, and the quicker it will dry. The more 'attached' and 'convenient' the diaper is, the more rinsing you will have to do on washing day. 

My ultimate favorite diaper stash

My very favorite diaper stash, for all the reasons that I wrote above, is the One Size AI2. I use a fitted diaper that is made from t-shirts, and I make it fast by simply using a snappi instead of adding snaps. I use a diaper cover that uses all snaps and no velcro. I also make them with hidden elastic instead of FOE. I never use hip snaps. I reach for these first!

You may find that you hate this idea! It's totally ok if you have a different opinion! I've cloth diapered 5 babies before I finally decided on a favorite. Make a little bit of everything if you are unsure, and see what you reach for first, how they wash up, and what works for your family. 

It's kind of funny to say that my favorite is the AI2, because I actually don't have a written pattern for it yet. I am working on that later this month, so be watching!

Do you have a favorite diaper stash? What are your reasons? If you've cloth diapered for a while, what are some pointers that you think others should know?

Can I use a cotton fabric on the outside of cloth diapers?

I have customers ask me about once a week if they can alter my cloth diaper pattern to have a cute cotton fabric on the outside of their cloth diapers. As much as it would be adorable, you simply don't want to do this!

 "If I get the one size pocket nappy is it possible to sew it without the pocket? I'm wanting to make one size nappy covers, hopefully covered with cotton fabric on the outside, but can't find any covers that specifically do this. Is it likely to leak every where?"

"Is there any way that I can add cute quilting fabric to the outside of my diaper, as a layer, so that the PUL doesn't show? I have some really nice prints that I want to show off!"

"Do you think a diaper cover with a printed cotton fabric on the outside would be doable? Do you have a tutorial for this?"

" What if I put a layer of cotton quilting fabric on the outside, sandwiching the PUL fabric in the middle of the diaper so that the outer layer of fabric is cotton and is what shows instead of the PUL?"

Seriously. People want to do this. And I understand! In fact, with my second baby, I was certain that I was going to have an entire stash of cutsie fabric covered diaper covers. I slaved away and made at least 2 dozen adorable diaper covers. I showed them off to my friends and family proudly. Then came time to use them on my sweet pumpkin. When I started using them, although they were incredibly adorable, I was in for an incredibly unpleasant suprise. They leaked like nothing else.
I used polyester thread, thinking that wicking wouldn't be a problem.
 ***Side note: "wicking" is a term used in the cloth diapering community for "leaking" where it isn't supposed to.***

What happened? Every pin hole, thread hole, edges of legs and tummy area were entirely soaked, even when the diaper wasn't all that wet! I had plenty of soaker fabric in my covers, this shouldn't have happened right?! 

Cotton is an absorbing fabric. No matter what you do. If you have a cloth diaper with cotton attached to it in any way, it's going to be wet. You can count on it.

So what options are there to have a cute fabric on my baby without it being boring PUL?

If you want to have an outer layer (which is what I prefer when I make diaper covers), use something that is 100% polyester. Minky fabrics, fleece, satin, microfiber, many upholstery fabrics, crushed suede, peach skin, faux suede, Jersey knits (only 100% polyester), jacquards, linen (only 100% polyester), and velour.

There are even more types of polyester fabrics available at many stores, but I wanted to give you a quick list: https://www.fabric.com/apparel-fashion-fabric.aspx?fiber-content-range=100percent-polyester

Another option is to look in the sheet section at your local super store. I'm not entirely fond of the big box stores, as you may know, but many times, you can find top sheets or pillowcases that are 100% polyester for a bargain! This way, you can make your whole diaper stash for next to nothing.

I hope that helps you understand that you absolutely should NOT use cotton fabric on the outside of your diapers, and that you CAN still use cute fabrics on the outside - namely - Polyester ones.

What about you? Have you tried using cotton on the outside of your diapers? Or other fabrics? Tell me about your experience!

Updating a tired room into an office

I am on my way to make something amazing. At least I hope so. My office. Sewing room, craft room, office, studio, whatever you want to call it.
We moved to our new home in August and I left behind my pinterest haven, beautifully crisp, clean, bright, cheery, happy office. However, I got the best place in our new house to make my own. It's large (10x19 in fact!), It's attached to a play area (what could be better than creating while my babies play?!), it's in a quiet part of the house, and there's even the beautiful woodstove/fireplace in the large room. The room is in the basement so it's cool in the summer and warm in the winter. What could be better?
Eh hem. It's dark 70's wood paneling. It's dreary. It smells musty and there's yucky carpet.  There's nothing to separate my space from the flood of toys (which desperately need organization), and with all those things combined, it takes all wind out of my sails. I have no inspiration or desire to be in the sewing room at.all.

I did my very best to take a photo that would show you my distaste for this area. The lighting shadows show the accurate depiction of this space.

After a long talk and look at the budget, we decided that my sewing room was our next room to tackle in our outdated, but very fun to remodel home. However, as I put together my supply list, even with using reclaimed items, the price kept climbing and climbing until it was at almost $600 for this room remodel. For some, I'm sure that is nothing....but my business is meant to help my family - not be a dent in the budget. This will be something to come back to.

For now, I decided to draw up a plan of my favorite way that I could use this spot. I spent some time last night making up a plan of how I thought this space should look.

Today was the first day on remodeling my office. I decided that since I share this large space with the play area, that I wasn't willing to eliminate the entire space for the children. To fix that problem, I would have to start by doing a portion of my space at a time. I very well might nix this idea, but for today, that's what I'm thinking. 

Step 1. assess the room as it is. 

What was once a nice desk needs updating or a new home

I love these built ins, but I think that I put them in the wrong place

This is a painted metal desk. It's in good shape but I think that I want something fresh.

This was the first piece of furniture that I ever redid. I love it. But I think that I'm going with bright, neutral white/gray scheme. I might include some vintage jar blue, but the yellows and reds aren't invited back. I will miss this piece, but maybe I can catch a good price that will help pay for my space!

My studio backdrop has been used to hide my college student, sister's, blow up mattress while she is on Christmas break. I think I'm going to move her to the couch so that I can start my process.

Step 2: Clean out the easiest part of the room. 

I figured that the easiest part would be to move out my sister from my space and take down the backdrop. It was easy and hardly takes up any space in the rest of the room where I am storing it. 

I also decided to list the dresser for sale on facebook. We have a "buy sell trade" page in our area. I love it. 

Step 3: I put other things away in the rest of the space so that I could get a good look at what I had left. At the very least, I shoved all the fabric pieces and nick-knacks into safer places.

Step 4. Reasses my assets.

As I was putting things away, I was reminded about my conscious effort to waste less and to reuse. I keep looking at this tired old desk and metal table. 

I think some paint can do this one good and I might be able to use it in a different way or place. Get rid of that fake, laminate wood grain.

This metal table is in pristine condition. I had gotten it from a junk pile 8 years ago. I don't know what those people were thinking when they threw it away. It was an ugly wood grain as well, but a few coats of paint later it was beautiful. I might have to repaint this baby again too. 

Step 5: Consider saving money in any area that I can.
I started to think about the 1/2 wall that I wanted to build to separate the living space from my work space. It was then that I noticed these shelves. They were one large shelf that was built in a different room in this house. I used my husband's handy sawzall and quickly cut them in half so that I could use them in a different place for these toys. But as I was looking at them today, I wondered if I could put a back on them and use them like a floating wall for my sewing room. I am going to think about this some more. It would significantly reduce my costs.

Step 6: Consider a new layout

As I was thinking about saving money and re-using the furniture that I already had, I thought that I needed to redo my layout of the room. But then I pretended that I was sitting in the corner where I had planned on putting my sewing table. hmmm....not exactly what I had in mind. I think I would hate sitting up against the wall to sew. New idea.  **At the very least, I would need to put a gigantic mirror on that wall to bounce light and "life" from if I ended up in the corner.

So what about you? Do you think I can reuse those shelves? Do you like to breathe new life into old things?