Psychic Sandwich

New Design for my Blog!

2011-06-19T19:30:00.002-04:00

I haven't abandoned this blog, I promise you, I've just been distracted with other things. I'm still very much a fan of cloth diapering and I have learned so much since my last active posts. Stay tuned, I promise to come back with more information on making cloth diapers and hopefully keep up with all the new products that are out there.

My twins turn 4 in a few weeks. My daughter has been out of diapers for a full year, but sadly my son is STILL in diapers. And while I'll be sad to say goodbye to cloth, really, it's time. LOL! Even when I no longer have cloth bums in my house, I intend to stay committed to the cause and continue to blog. However, I might expand into other areas.

One year later and still going strong!

2010-09-16T19:37:00.004-04:00

I can't believe it's been almost a year since my last post. I have so much to share! We've now been using cloth diapers for a year and a half. My twins are now 3 years old and one of them (my daughter) is fully potty trained. My son, however, is not. He's not even close, so I've still got one in diapers.

How have my diapers held up over 18 months? Well let's see...

Bum Genius 3.0s are in great shape. My microfiber inserts have gotten a little dingy over time. They have a sort of greyish tint, but they don't stink and they still absorb well. I've heard that you can bleach them every so often, but I hate using bleach so I have yet to do that. I also haven't sunned them. Sunning your diapers is a great natural way to lighten them up to their former glory, perhaps I'll try that and do some before and after shots for a future blog post. The great thing about BG 3.0s is that they hold up great during naps and overnight (with both inserts for overnight). There's even a NEW BG 4.0. If I weren't done buying diapers, I'd be all over those. The new 4.0s are available in snaps, unlike the 3.0s, but velcro style is still available. The aplix on my 3.0s has held up well, but I've heard that the new hook & loop fasteners that they are using are even better.

FuzziBunz... still love them. I could build an entire stash out of FB and be happy. My son has been in mediums for the entire year and a half that he's been in cloth diapers. He is now 27lbs and 34.5" tall. I don't think I'll ever need larges. My daughter is 32lbs and she still uses a medium FB shell (no insert) as a swim diaper. Plus, they have the most fantastic customer service. Really incredible top notch customer service.

Speaking of customer service, I never did hear back from Happy Heinys about my defective diaper. Besides the fact that the cotton PUL wicked like crazy, the PUL also separated from the cotton outer making it pretty much useless. I'm not a fan and I don't recommend HH, but I will say that there are people out there who like them just fine.

gDiapers, still a HUGE fan. I know I said I could build an entire stash out of FB, but I wouldn't because I could never give up my gs. Besides being super cute (and having come in third in that contest last year and winning that $100 gift certificate) they work really well. The gCloth is surprisingly absorbent for being so trim, and it's easy to double up for extra protection. My daughter still wears a gDiaper at night with a gCloth in it "just in case". It saves me from an emergency sheet change a couple times a month.

I'm also still loving my pre-folds and fitteds with Thirsties covers although I've been having some trouble with my natural fiber diapers. I'll save that for my next post...

My new favorite detergent - Rockin' Green

2009-09-17T13:33:00.004-04:00

I have been using Tide my whole life, or as long as I can remember. I switched to Tide Free when the twins were born, and continued to use Tide Free on my cloth diapers when I first started. There are so many detergents out there, and so many warnings of what you can and can't use on cloth diapers, that it was quite overwhelming.

About a month ago I started hearing the buzz about Rockin' Green detergent. Cick on the link, everything is there - it doesn't have any of the bad things in it (enzymes, dyes, brighteners, etc.) and it comes in a variety of yummy scents. The scent comes from oils so it doesn't actually make your diapers smell like the scent. It just makes laundry day more fun because you can smell it in your laundry room. I bought two sample bags - grape soda and cherry lemonade. I bought the Classic Rock version, although they do have a Soft Rock version for sensitive skin. My daughter has eczema, and she does fine with the Classic Rock.

So far, I am very pleased with this detergent. I pan on ordering a full size bag when my samples run out! Use discount code WELCOME to get 10% off your order.

The Goodmama, the Bad, and the Ugly

2009-09-15T15:13:00.006-04:00

Sorry for the lag in posts again! I've got LOTS to share from the past few weeks. I made my first fleece soaker and finally got to use my new serger, but I'll save that for another post. This post, is my Goodmama review.

The good news is that it is a super cute diaper that is super soft on the inside. The one I bought had a bamboo velour inside, but they also come with cotton velour. Bamboo is supposed to be softer. I have not yet seen any cotton velour diapers in person, so I can't compare. The Goodmama diaper is also VERY absorbant. Dare I say it, a little more absorbant than my beloved BSRBs. It also fits my son beautifully. It's a boyish print, so my daughter hasn't worn it, but I'm sure it would fit her well too.

The bad and the ugly are really the same. The GM I bought has a serged edge all the way around. Recently, they have started making them differently, so that the serged edge doesn't show, but I wanted to try one of the original style. I had heard that the serged edges can irritate baby's skin. When used with a cover, the cover protected my son from having direct contact with the serged edges against his thigh. However, when he wore his GM for just 2 hours without a cover, the diaper was nice and dry on the outside, but his legs looked like this (note how I cleverly hid his boy bits):
What exactly do I mean by a serged edge? Let's take a look at a BSRB and a GM next to each other. The BSRB is on the left, the GM on the right. Notice the red edges of the GM. That is the serged edge. The picture is of both diapers without the snap-in inserts.
And here is a closer look at the edges of both diapers. Note how the serged edge of the BSRB is folded in and sewn down so that it can't irritate baby's legs. That is called a rolled hem casing.
So what do we do if we want to wear a GM coverless to avoid the irritation? I discovered that if I put my Imse Vimse liner in so that about an inch hangs off each side, the liner can protect my son's legs from the serged edges. I've only tried it once so far, but it was a success! If I ever buy another GM (translation: if they ever have an awesome sale again where I can get it for under $20) I will definitely be buying one of the turned & topstiched versions that don't have serged edges.

Calgon, take me away!

2009-08-17T22:45:00.004-04:00

I've been away for most of the summer at my family's cottage just north of Toronto, Ontario. It's a fabulous place for the kids to run around outside. Sadly, I have left my sewing machine and new serger at home, so I have not been able to sew for the past 5 weeks.

Meanwhile, I've been washing my diapers up here and I started noticing several things. First, my cotton and bamboo diapers started seriously fading. My orange gDiapers suddenly looked old and faded. My BSRBs started fading too. Second, we started getting a strong ammonia smell in the mornings. Then, the ammonia smell started happening throughout the day.

I added "blue Dawn" to the shopping list because I figured I just needed to strip my diaper. But before I went and got it, I consulted with my good friend Google. I told Google about our hard water up here at the cottage. We have well water, and that's about as hard as it gets. Google told me that all the minerals in the water are leaving a white filmy buildup on my diapers, thus making them appear to be old and faded. The hard water was also trapping in detergent and likely causing some serious detergent buildup in my diapers. The answer? I needed to get some Calgon water softener, not Dawn. So I crossed Dawn off the list and added on Calgon.

This Calgon is not to be confused with the "Calgon, take me away!" bubble bath stuff (despite my catchy title). This Calgon is specifically for use in washing machines to combat the problems of hard water. Calgon in hand, I put in the recommended half a cup into a load of diapers with NO soap and ran the wash on warm. I couldn't believe how many suds I saw! I repeated the wash on HOT with the tiniest bit of Tide Free (we're talking a teaspoon, if that) and there were so many suds that I was literally scooping them out of the washing machine and dumping them in the utility sink. The machine here is a 20 year old top loader that you can futz with during the wash. I'd never be able to do that at home with my fancy shmancy HE front loader. I've got pictures of this, so I'll add them tomorrow.

The end result is that Calgon is a MUST for anyone with hard water. My mom and I tried it with our clothes and noticed a huge difference. Everything just felt better, cleaner, even smelled fresher. My diapers have been fixed and the ammonia stink is gone. The powder works best on hot water because it helps to dissolve the powder - plus, warmer water helps get out more soap. I think that's why I noticed so much more sudsing on the hot wash.

Here is my box of Calgon powder:

Here is what I saw immediately when the wash first started:

And here's my second HOT wash (hot gets out more of the sudsy buildup) where I was literally scooping suds out and into the sink next to the washing machine!!! This was only about a months worth of detergent buildup in hard well water. And I was hardly using any detergent. Scary, right?

My 15 minutes of gDiaper fame...

2009-08-15T23:42:00.004-04:00

I came in third in the gDiapers sweet deal promotion. I am very excited about that! For being in the top three, I got a gift certificate for $200! How awesome is that? I am so excited to pick out my new gDiapers :) They also put a little write-up about me on the gDiapers Facebook fan page. Check it out!

Sorry I've been MIA on keeping up this blog. I've been really getting into my cloth diapers and I have TONS of helpful information to add. In the near future, I will have a more organized website (not in blog format) where it will be easier to find things - like video tutorials, diaper reviews, contest and sales, etc.

I stumbled upon and unheard of deal today for Goodmamas. The entire site was 50% off! I had decided (in the past) not to buy any GMs for several reasons. First, they are very expensive at $33-35 a pop. Even the clearance diapers at $24 were a little too much to spend. I kind of draw the line at $20 BSRBs, and even then, I only bought 2 of them. Second, I have heard that many of the diapers come with damaged snaps and GM customer service is not too great. You have to pay to send back your already overpriced diaper to get it fixed. Third, many people have said that the serged edges of the GMs irritate their baby's legs. Well, today I purchased one of the $24 clearance diapers for an unheard of $12!!! It came to $16.16 with shipping included. How could I pass that up? If I want to make diapers - possibly to sell - I need to experience first-hand the most popular diapres, and GMs are certainly up there on the list of most popular fitteds. This is the diaper that I bought. Not my first choice in patterns, but it was the only one left. I think they are completely sold out now.

Why am I pushing someone else's gDiapers code?

2009-07-30T09:08:00.006-04:00

If you read the previous post, I was actually winning the contest last week. Since then, I've fallen behind 144 to 125. First off, thank you SO much to anyone who supported me and chose my code to get your awesome deal. I realize that I probably won't win, so I want to support someone who really deserves to win.

Anna is a dedicated gMom with twin girls who have been in gDiapers for about a year. She also has 3 other kids. She is very active on the Yahoo gDiapers group and she has been helping other gMoms get to their 10 sales so that they can win gift certificates too.

Another participant has come out of nowhere, from behind, who was more than 50 orders behind us, and is now about to take the lead. She has been dishonest about representing the contest and has spammed the heck out of BabyCenter and craigslist. I don't mean 1-5 craigslist ads like most of us have done, much much more than that. And she has not disclosed that it's a contest and that she stands to benefit from.

So if you haven't used my code yet and you were planning to, please use Anna's code instead. If I can't win, I would like to support someone who really deserves to win! The code is at the top of the blog (g677Swank). Thank you!

8/1 Update... Anna won!!! I came in third :) I'm very pleased with the results. Thanks to everyone who helped me get this far. I hope you love your gDiapers as much as I do!

I have a shot to win the gDiapers contest!!!

2009-07-23T15:48:00.007-04:00

I just found out by reading the gDiapers Facebook page that I was winning the contest!!! Now I am in second place. I really never thought I would get this far. I was going for 10. Somehow I got 108!!! Now I think I have a shot at winning. Help me go for it! How awesome would that be? I'm going to see what I could win... this is crazy... I'm in shock.

Link to gDiapers on FB:

http://www.facebook.com/gdiapers?ref=nf#/gdiapers?ref=mf

Where I just saw this status:

gDiapers

oh, Swank just pulled ahead of Erdos in the everyday g's sweet deal contest. Swank 109 vs. Erdos 108....the race to the finish line is on!

How to use a pre-fold with your gDiaper

2009-06-25T00:59:00.003-04:00

I took a quick video of how I use my infant pre-fold instead of a flushie in my gDiapers. Hopefully this will help out those of you who have been wondering how this works. The nylon liner holds the pre-fold well with no slipping.

This is an unbleached Indian pre-fold that I bought from Cotton Babies. I use the infant size for my medium gPants. I'd use the same size for a large (because they use the same size nylon liner), but if I had a small gPant I'd probably use the preemie size pre-fold.

Get a 6-pack of gDiapers for $40!

2009-06-23T19:27:00.003-04:00

This is an awesome deal if you are looking to try the gDiaper system. The 6-pack is regularly $70! You get a combo of the orange and vanilla g-pants and the inserts are sold separately. You can choose from the biodegradable flushable inserts OR, the NEW gCloth inserts! I would love to try the new gCloth inserts. I've been using a folded up infant pre-fold for my cloth inserts, and they work great too.

Use this coupon code to grab your 6-pack:

g795Erdos

To use your personal gMum/Dad coupon code, add one or more everyday g's six-pack(s) to your gDiapers.com cart, enter your code and click the "redeem" button. The price will automatically drop from $70 (regular price) to $40. What a sweet deal!

Share your code and use it yourself. The contest is over on July 31st, 2009, so don't wait to get the word out. When the contest is over, it's over. I get a gift certificate for gDiapers if 10 people use my code :)

Cloth Diaper Sewing 101... Equipment!

2009-06-19T14:12:00.004-04:00

I've been sewing on a Singer 4528 Merritt, which is about 20 years old. Lovely, isn't it?

It's still working well enough that I don't feel the need to buy a new sewing machine, but I needed to get a new presser foot to accommodate the different types of fabric that you need to sew when making cloth diapers. More specifically, I needed to buy an even feed walking foot. A walking foot helps you sew on stretchy fabrics (like cotton knits and PUL) so that this doesn't happen:

I was trying to sew two layers of hemp fleece together by zig zagging the edges together. As you can see, this ruffling effect is not the look I was going for. Here's the same zig zag stitch AFTER I installed my new walking foot.

Much better, right? The walking foot makes it so the fabric on top and the fabric on the bottom go through at the same rate. That's why it's also called an "even feed" foot. Better, yes, but I decided that the zig zagged edges aren't as professional as I would like. SO, in addition to the new walking foot, I finally bit the bullet and bought a serger! I did my research and found a serger that gets great reviews, but is on the lower end of the price range. I've ordered the Brother 1034D. It has a feature called "differential feed" which basically does what a walking foot does and serges your stretchy fabrics without the puckered edges.

It's important to note that a serger does NOT replace a sewing machine. If you are new to sewing and want to make your own diapers, you must start with a sewing machine. Sergers are intended to be used in addition to a sewing machine to help make your edges look more professional. That is why I still needed the walking foot. So back to the walking foot...

I purchased my walking foot on eBay for two reasons. The first reason is that you can get one on eBay for almost half of what it would cost in the store. I paid $16 (shipping included) for mine. A similar one in a store would cost $3o. The second reason I bought it on eBay is because my machine is a dinosaur, and it's not as easy to find parts for it in a store. Walking feet are fairly universal though, so they should be easy to find. I found an eBay seller that listed my machine under compatibility, so I was sure it would fit properly. Here's a picture of the walking foot next to a regular foot so you can see the difference. Looks like a monster, eh? lol

And here is the walking foot after I installed it. It took me about 10 seconds to install, very easy. Notice how there is a forked part that goes over the nob that holds your needle in. I'm not sure what it does, but that's where it's supposed to go.

The diaper so nice, I bought it twice!

2009-06-18T22:58:00.005-04:00

That's right, you guessed it, I have now bought my second BSRB diaper. The first one was a big hit. It is VERY soft and it fits my daughter extremely well. The pink apples make it a girly print, so I decided that I needed a second BSRB for my son. I can't wait to get it!

The absorbency is good enough that your baby or toddler (it's a true one size fits all) can wear it without a cover for an hour or two, but I wouldn't recommend it during heavy wetting times. For us, the wettest diapers come in the mornings, so if I want to use the BSRB without a cover I'll wait until late morning or afternoon. Also, I wouldn't recommend going out in a BSRB, or taking a nap, without a cover.

In other news, I have also purchased some organic bamboo fleece and organic bamboo velour so that I can make some super soft diapers myself. My prototypes are coming along nicely. I made one out of hemp fleece the other day, but it's not quite right due to limitations with my sewing machine. I had to invest in some new equipment, so I'll be blogging about that soon. In the meantime, check out Teddy's new diaper (he LOVES cars):

BSRB Feeding Frenzy

2009-05-28T19:10:00.004-04:00

If you CD then you know about BSRBs. I mentioned them in an earlier post when I described fitted diapers. BSRB stands for Bagshot Row Bamboo, which is the brand name of a VERY popular one size fitted diaper. It's made entirely out of bamboo / organic cotton. I've heard that it's the ultimate in softness. At $20 a pop, it's not the cheapest, especially considering that they don't even have their own closure system. You are supposed to close them with a snappi or pins.

So here's the deal... she restocks on Thursdays and they go on sale at 7:02pm eastern. This means you basically have to sit there and press refresh and pray that your click goes through. I picked my diaper - a cute one with apples on it (one of the twins' favorite words) - and waited until it was time. Hyena Cart has this handy time telling tool that tells you exactly what time it is, down to the second. I started getting nervous at 7:01:42. Why was I so nervous? You'd think that with the amount of adrenaline pumping through my veins and the rate my heart was beating that I was waiting to see if I won the Oscar I'd been nominated for.

Suddenly the screne changes. There is now a "buy" button that I can click! I click... it's in my cart... well, that wasn't so hard. I proceed to checkout, pay for my goods ($23 when you add in shipping) and go back to stare at my newly purchased diaper. It's awfully cute. Too bad it's not waterproof and I'm going to have to cover up that cuteness with a PUL cover. Oh well, it's all in the name of research, right?

I'll put up a review when the diaper arrives. Keep checking back as I plan on added more pictures and videos to help people learn about the different kinds of diapers that I'm reviewing.

Check out my new diaper. If you click on the image it will take you to the BSRB website:

Happy Heinys Pocket ~ Review

2009-05-15T19:49:00.004-04:00

What can I say, I'm not a fan. The Aplix tabs are HUGE and wide, and STIFF. They aren't comfortable next to my daughter's belly. Otherwise the diaper is fine, similar to FB and BG pockets, but I probably won't be buying any more of them.

Update 6/4/09: I was able to examine a well-loved HH diaper at a friend's house tonight and I think I know what part of the problem is with my HH. My HH is made out of a cotton woven PUL fabric. This makes it much stiffer than a polyester knit PUL that is more comonly used as a diaper outer. The polyester knit PUL HH (super cute cow print) was much softer. The aplix tabs are still huge, but I think the fabric might be the bigger issue.

Update 6/26/09: There's another problem with the cotton PUL. It wicks. Wicking occurs when the outside fabric of a diaper pulls moisture from the inside of the diaper. So when my daughter pees in her HH, the fleece gets a little wet around the leg holes. Then the cotton from the outer fabric draws the wetness out, despite the waterproof PUL lining. Suffice it to say, I will NOT be buying any cotton PUL diapers or fabric. Unless it's really cute... REALLY cute. Cuteness can trump the wicking factor.

gDiaper ~ Review

2009-05-15T19:42:00.003-04:00

I think that the gDiapers might be my favorite cloth diapers of all. BUT, I'm not a big fan of the disposable / flushable inserts. They are more expensive than disposable diapers and they bunch up inside the diaper after they get peed on. I like the idea of how you can flush them and love that they don't sit around in land fills for 500 years, but the execution needs some work.

So why are gDiapers my favorite? I LOVE LOVE LOVE using them with an infant prefold for an insert. You just fold it in thirds and plop it into the gDiaper liner and voila. It's nice and trim and seems to be quite comfortable. Top it off with an Imse Vimse liner (I've been using this on all the diapers, actually) and it's like cloth diaper perfection. I use the unbleached Indian prefolds that I bought from Cotton Babies. The infant size is only $1.50!

Bum Genius Organic AIO ~ Review

2009-05-15T19:38:00.003-04:00

The BG organic AIO has snaps. It's really kind of an AIO, AI2 hybrid because the absorbant layers are on top of the inner lining, but sewn down at both ends so you can't remove it. I guess this helps it dry faster. I had read that you need to wash the organic diapers several times in order for them to be absorbent, but I tried it after only one washing (in hot water) and was pleasantly surprised at how much pee it held. We've only used it the one time so far, but I have high hopes for this diaper! I like the idea of organic cotton next to my babies' bums instead of synthetic polyester. I just don't know how comfortable it is for them when it's wet. No complaints so far!

6/26/09 Update: I am still loving this diaper. It is super absorbent and very trim. It's even great for naps and possible overnight (still haven't tried it overnight). The only down side to this diaper is that it's on the small side. It's perfect for my 22-23 lb son, but it's a bit snug on my 27ish pound daughter. They both have thin thighs (no rolls) so that helps with the fit. I would NOT recommend this diaper for a baby with thick chubby thighs. I think BG should come out with a larger size option because the diaper really is fabulous. Oh, one more down side... It's $24.95. I wish it were cheaper!

FuzziBunz Pocket ~ Review

2009-05-15T19:18:00.002-04:00

I bought 4 FuzziBunz pockets, size Medium, not the one size. I had heard they ran big so Medium seemed to be the way to go. They had a very similar fit to the one-size BG 3.0s. One of my FuzziBunz arrived with a pull in the fabric and a small hole near one of the snaps. I filled out the online form to get it replaced and they sent me an email with instructions on how to send it back. I was annoyed that they didn't mention anything about reimbursing me for shipping costs so I sent an email back to them. They then offered to replace the diaper without me having to send back the damaged FB! A+++ for customer service. The replacement diaper arrived yesterday so it was like getting the slightly damaged diaper for free.

The FB itself seems more comfortable around the leg openings. Plus, the snaps are pretty much baby proof. Neither of my twins even tried to undo the snaps. I had one leak with the FB on my daughter, but I think that was my fault for not changing it quickly enough. It's so much easier to tell when a disposable diaper is wet because they get all squishy. With cloth, I'm never quite sure when they need to be changed.

Bum Genius 3.0 One Size Pocket - Review

2009-05-15T19:10:00.005-04:00

I bought 2 of these diapers, one blue and one pink, both the limited edition with the fleece insides. I do not believe that they are true one size diapers. They fit well on both of my twins on the largest setting. My son is about 22 pounds and 31.5 inches. My daughter is about 25 pounds and 32.5 inches. Both are pretty slender and do not have chunky thighs. I have no idea how this diaper would fit a child of 30 lbs plus, but I guess it's possible if they just get taller and don't necessarily get chunkier.

I imagine that you could fit this diaper on a newborn, but it would be seriously bulky. Both diapers came with two microfiber inserts, one large one with snaps to make it smaller, and one smaller infant sized insert. In the mornings I use both inserts with my daughter because she is a super soaker in the mornings. In the afternoon I would just use the larger insert. On my son, I use the larger insert, but sometimes I snap the end of it so that there is extra padding in the front. I haven't had a single leak with these diapers. I also have not worn them out of the house or during naps or overnight yet.

The Aplix hasn't been a problem. The first time I put them on they both tried to undo them, but since then they have lost interest. I've heard that it doesn't hold up too well after multiple washings, but so far we're OK. I've only washed them a handful of times though.

Update 6/26/09: The aplix is still holding up well. Bum Genius has changed their washing instructions and now recommend that you line dry their diapers. I guess people were having problems with the dryer ruining the aplix. I still put mine in the dryer (on low) and my aplix looks like new. However, I was having some stink issues with the BG fleece. I couldn't get the pee smell out of the fleece no matter how many times I rinsed it and washed it, unless I scrubbed them by hand in the sink, which was not fun. After much googling and frustration I finally added a small scoop of oxyclean to my 17 minute pre-wash (no detergent). Then I ran a regular cycle with an extra rinse (another 40 minutes) and the diapers came out smelling quite fresh!

Check out my STASH!

2009-05-07T11:13:00.006-04:00

We've got... 4 FuzziBunz medium pockets on the left, 2 Thirsties medium covers on the top in the middle, followed by 1 medium Bummis Super Whisper Wrap and 2 medium gDiaper covers. On the right we have 2 one-size Bum Genius 3.0 pockets, 1 one-size organic Bum Genius AIO, and 1 large Happy Heinys pocket. They are ready for the wash! I should be able to try them out on the babies either this afternoon or tomorrow. Bye-bye disposables!

And here are my (unwashed) unbleached Indian pre-folds. We have four regular size on the left and four infant size on the right. The infant size can be used to stuff pocket diapers (and gDiapers). I'm told that they don't quilt up until you wash them. You also need to wash them several times in HOT water in order to get them up to their full absorbency. I'll have to do this with the organic BG as well. This is because the cotton has natural oils that need to be washed away in order to become more absorbent.

I made my first diaper!

2009-05-06T08:00:00.000-04:00

Yesterday I made my very first cloth diaper. It's a fitted diaper made out of an old pair of flannel pajama bottoms from the Gap. The elastic was shot so it was a prime candidate for the metamorphosis. Check it out:

I took pictures of each step so that I could share how I made my diaper. Since I may want to make diapers to sell in the future (after I've perfected my craft, of course) I wanted to make my own pattern. I started with a Huggies size 4 diaper since that's what my twins are wearing right now. I folded some paper in half and traced the outline of the diaper. I also had to cut the elastic in the diaper to get it to lie straight.

Then I removed the diaper and smoothed out the lines. I opened up the paper and lay the diaper inside to see how the shape looked. I made sure to keep in mind that I would need about a 3/8" seem allowance around the entire thing.

Here are the flannel pants that I have chosen to recycle.

Next, I cut out three layers of flannel using the pattern (folded in half to achieve the best symmetry). You need one layer for the outside of the diaper, one layer for the inside, and a third layer between the two that will be hidden. The hidden layer is the one that you sew your absorbent layers to.

I'm not thrilled with the pattern I created to make my absorbent pad. I think it's oddly shaped and nothing like I've seen on other diaper making sites. But the good news is that this layer will be hidden so no one will see it anyway. I cut two layers of flannel and one layer of zorb. The zorb is pinned between the two flannel layers. I used a zig-zag stitch and went around the entire thing. If you have a serger, you can serge this. I don't have a serger (yet).

After you zig-zag or serge your soaker, it needs to be sewn to the hidden layer of fabric. I pinned it down and sewed a straight line close to the edge.

With the hidden layer complete, the diaper was now ready to be sewn together. This flannel didn't really have a right side because both sides look exactly the same. If there were a right side, I would have put them right sides together for this step. So the top layer would be the outer diaper fabric, then the inner diaper fabric, and then the hidden layer with the soaker facing in. I could have had the soaker facing out, but then I would have had to switch places with my inner & outer fabric. I'm going to try that next time to see if it makes a difference. I think it makes a difference if you are sewing your elastic down (rather than make a casing like I did).

Then I sewed around the entire permiter with about a 3/8" seem allowance (slightly larger than the 1/4" elastic that I used in the next step).

I sort of guessed where the elastic should go (again, using my Huggies as an example) and tacked it down with pins, then sewed it into the seam allowance by going backwards and forwards with a zig-zag. I cut about 5.5" for the back and 5" for the legs. I'm estimating this fitted diaper to be a size medium.

At this point, the diaper was ready to be turned inside out. Et voila! Now the layers were in their proper places. I took this picture before I stuck my hands in and smoothed out the edges. I also snipped the curves and cut the corners prior to doing this, you know, all that good sewing 101 jazz. I could have also used an iron since there's no PUL in this diaper... but I didn't.

After smoothing out the edges I turned in the open part at the front of the diaper and pinned it closed. I was now ready to top stich the entire diaper and make the casings for my elastic. I should point out that after doing this I realized that this front part of my diaper was too high. I ended up cutting off almost a full inch of what you see in this picture. I'll have to adjust my pattern accordingly. The wings in front are also a little on the long side, which would be good if this were a side snap diaper... but it's not. When I got to the elastic, I just pushed it towards the outer edge and held it flat to create the casing.

Here is my daughter, Taylor, modeling the finished product. I secured it with a Snappi for now, but I'm going to test out my new snap pliers and put some snaps on this diaper soon. It was my first time using a Snappi and I couldn't quite get the one that goes down to the crotch to attach properly. My model did not want to sit still long enough for me to figure it out.

I should add that I have no idea how absorbent this diaper is because Taylor did not pee in it. She only wore it for about half an hour and it was dry when I took it off.

gDiapers have arrived!

2009-04-29T17:37:00.000-04:00

My first fluffy mail arrived today! I decided to try the gDiaper system when I discovered that the starter kits were on sale at the gDiaper store online. I bought 2 kits in size medium hoping that they would work for both of my twins (one is smaller than the other). My daughter was borderline, but the gDiaper website has a demonstration video with a boy the same age (21 months) that looks bigger than her and he was modeling the medium. The kit comes with 2 covers, an extra liner, and 10 disposable (flushable!) inserts. It also comes with a plastic stick that you're supposed to use to stir the insert in the toilet before you flush it. There's a whole process involved when you flush them (I have not tried this yet).

I haven't washed them yet, but since only the disposable liner touches their skin I decided one little test drive wouldn't hurt. So as soon as the twins woke up from their nap, they each got stripped naked and outfitted in a gDiaper. Here's a shot from behind. My daughter is wearing the vanilla color on the left and my son is in orange on the right. I think the size is pretty good for both of them:
The other diaper that arrived today is a Happy Heinys diaper that I bought from another mama on Diaper Swappers. It's brand new and has a cute rose print on it. It's a large, so I'm not sure if it will be too big on my daughter. It didn't come with an insert so I can't try it out until my inserts arrive (or until I make some inserts). I also want to wash it first and test out those liners I bought.

I'm now waiting on my Bum Geniuses and Fuzzi Bunz. OK so as I'm writing this I hear the sound of aplix unhooking and I turned to see my daughter trying to undo her gDiaper. The g's have the aplix closure in the back of the diaper, but apparently it's not much of a deterrent! I'm sure it will work better when they have clothes over the diapers.

Waiting for my Fluffy Mail

2009-04-26T13:20:00.000-04:00

I ordered my first cloth diapers a few days ago and I can't wait for them to arrive! On Friday I placed an order with Cotton Babies for some Bum Genius 3.0 diapers. I bought 2 BG pockets with fleece lining (this is a limited edition because most BG are made with suedecloth linings) and 1 BG organic. I think the organic is an AIO, but I'm not 100% sure. Whatever it is, I'm excited!!! I also bought some prefolds and flushable liners at the same time. I chose the Imse Vimse liners because they come highly recommended. Plus, you can run them through your washing machine if they don't have any poop on them. Bonus!

Then, last night I found an awesome deal on some Fuzzy Bunz from SoftClothBunz. Right now you can get 3 FB pocket diapers with 3 extra inserts (6 inserts in total) for $53.75. That includes shipping! FB diapers seem to be the only mass produced pocket diapers that use snaps. Rumor has it that FB owns the patent on snaps for pocket diapers, and that's why BG and HH (Happy Heinys) use aplix. I don't know if that's true for sure, because there are tons of smaller companies (and WAHMs) who put snaps on their pocket diapers. Wouldn't FB try to protect their patent? If you have any information about this, please leave a comment.

ETA: I'm not too thrilled with the SoftClothBunz people right now. They emailed me to tell me that they only had the pink FB in stock and would I like three of those instead. Or I could wait until Friday when they get more colors. Uh no, I don't think so. I emailed them back asking them to cancel my order and (4 hours later) I have not yet heard back from them (grrr). SO I placed the same order (3 FB medium pockets plus 3 extra inserts) with the Fuzzi Bunz store. They are running a sale too, and it was actually about $3 cheaper. Bonus! Let's hope I don't receive a similar email from them...

Update: I had to email the SoftClothBunz people again to ask them to cancel my order and they were pretty quick responding to email #2. The Fuzzi Bunz store shipped my order already so it should be on its way!

Finally, I bought a Happy Heinys rose print pocket diaper from another mom on Diaper Swappers. It's brand new, but doesn't come with an insert. So that's a total of... 7 diapers comin gin my fluffy mail! Diaper Swappers is a great online community where you can learn everything there is to know about CDing, buy supplies to make CD, and buy/sell/trade with other mamas. Everyone has been very nice to me since I've joined.

I will be back to review my diapers after we try them out!

Who knew fleece could be this complicated?

2009-04-22T10:16:00.000-04:00

Did you know that there are 23982838634 kinds of fleece? OK, I'm exaggerating, but it's quite overwhelming to the novice diaper maker. First of all, what do you need fleece for? Fleece is most commonly used to line the inside of a diaper, but can also be used as an outside layer.

The weight of your fleece is also very important when using fleece as an inner lining in your diapers. You want thin microfleece for your inners so as not to add bulk. Microfleece serves as a nice soft layer against baby's bum that also keeps baby dry by wicking in the moisture into the absorbant core of the diaper. Look for 100 weight microfleece. Some people use 200 weight. I haven't used either yet, but I'm planning on using 100. Microfleece can be expensive ($9+ per yard) so some people look for cheap microfleece blankets on sale at places like Marshall's and TJ Max to use for material. If I find any good deals, I'll post them. Right now I'm stalking eBay and putting a call in to Tonitex later today.

Fleece can be a great outer cover for a diaper, but only if it is waterproofed with something called a DWR coating. DWR stands for Durable Water Repellent and Malden Mills sells this as Polartec WindPro. If you try to use regular fleece, baby's clothes will be soaked as water just wicks right through it. WindPro is expensive at $15+ per yard.

Not all fleece is created equal. Some brands are preferred over other brands in the diaper making community. The most popular brands of fleece are Malden Mills and Tonitex. You've probably heard of polar fleece? That's Malden Mills. Another popular brand is Huntingdon Mills, but they are no longer in operation. However, you can often still buy Huntingdon Mills fleece on eBay. I have read that Tonitex is the same company, but I'm not 100% positive.

Snap Pliers found!

2009-04-17T09:49:00.000-04:00

I have found another place to buy the coveted snap pliers that until now have only been available through the elusive yahoo group mentioned in the previous post. I just placed my order. They are backordered for 2-3 weeks, but they ship from the US so (I assume) they will arrive much more quickly than the ones from the yahoo group that ship directly from China. I bought the pliers and the bonus snap packages as well. It seems like a good deal. When my pliers arrive I'll demo them on YouTube and review them as well as the merchant I purchased them from. I bought them from KAMsnaps.com.

Velcro vs. Snaps

2009-04-16T09:00:00.001-04:00

First off, it's not called Velcro because Velcro is what they call a genericized trademark. Velcro is a popular brand name for what is generically called a hook-and-loop fastener. For example, I don't ask my husband to bring me a "Puffs" even though that's the brand name of tissue that we use. I ask for a Kleenex, even though Puffs are clearly not made by the Kleenex people. Well, that's what happened with Velcro, and Band-Aid, and Q-tip, and (believe it or not) Escalator! Can you imagine asking a sales person in a department store where the "moving staircase" is? Now I've wandered off topic...

OK, so Velcro. For cloth diapers, the brand names of choice for hook-and-loop fasteners are Aplix and Touch Tape. I've read that using actual Velcro is a no-no because it isn't strong enough to hold up to the vigorous washing demands of CDs. I'm not sure where to buy either of them, but there are many websites out there that sell supplies for making cloth diapers. Aplix and Touch Tape are preferable by many because it's so easy to use and it's very similar to disposable diapers. However, many toddlers have no problem figuring out how to take these diapers off. Hook-and-loop fasteners might be best for younger infants.

The popular alternatives to hook-and-loop fasteners are poly resin snaps. These are PVC-free plastic snaps that come in every color imaginable, although the most popular color for cloth diapers is white. The snaps allow for a more baby-proof system of closure, yet are still easy to use. It sounds to me like snaps would be a better choice, but I have yet to try them out myself so don't go by me.

Since I plan on making my diapers with snaps, I had to research what I would need to apply the snaps myself. In order to attach the resin snaps to diapers, you need either a snap press or snap pliers. Snap presses run upwards of $60 plus you have to buy attachments depending on what size snap you use. The most common size for making diapers is size 20. With a little more searching, I discovered that you can also buy a pair of snap pliers for around $30 that don't require any extra pieces. These pliers also come with a sample pack of snaps. Unfortunately, you can only get these pliers at this price from one source, and there is quite a waiting list. They are sold by a woman named Serena through this yahoo group. It may take a few days (or weeks!) before she accepts you into the group and you may have to reapply. I applied 3 days ago and I'm still waiting. It looks like I will have to wait a while longer because it now says that she is closed to orders. I'll post an update when I have one. In the meantime, you can see the products she offers here, or you can check out her eBay listings. Keep in mind that the prices on her eBay packages will be slightly higher due to the fact that she has to pay listing fees and commissions.

Remember, I have not actually seen the insides of this yahoo group, nor have I ordered anything from Serena myself, so I can't recommend her personally. However, I keep reading great things about her and these snap pliers. She also sells the more expensive snap presses.

The Many Faces of Cloth Diapers

2009-04-14T17:33:00.003-04:00

There are many different kinds of CDs. First off, let me mention that I am NOT recommending any of the brands of CDs that I have listed here because I have not yet tried them. I am merely using them as examples. They are names that I have seen and heard while reading up on CD. I suggest you Google reviews on any item listed here before you try it for yourself. There are pros and cons to every CD.

Fitted diapers are usually made out of cotton and other absorbent materials like hemp, bamboo, and terry. Popular fitted diapers are BSRB diapers, Kissaluvs, and Swaddlebees. Fitted diapers do NOT have a waterproof outer shell. This means that they must be worn with a cover in order to be effective. Here is a picture of a Kissaluv fitted diaper:

Diaper covers are made out of fabric lined with a polyurethane laminate, otherwise known as PUL. PUL is also used when making pocket diapers and all-in-one diapers because those diapers are designed to be used without a separate cover. Two companies I've seen with diaper covers are Thirsties and Bummis. Bummis is a Canadian company that manufactures their own version of PUL. Here is a picture of a Thirsties diaper cover made from one layer of PUL:

Pocket diapers usually consist of an outer PUL layer and an inner microfleece or suedecloth inside. There is also a pocket between the two layers where you add whatever absorbent layer you wish to add. You can simply put in a pre-fold diaper (the old-fashioned rectangular diapers) or any number of inserts that are available. These inserts are made of many different fabrics. Hemp/cotton blend fabric is very popular because it absorbs more than cotton by itself. Microfiber also absorbs a lot of liquid. Popular pocket diapers are FuzziBunz and Happy Heinys. Here is a picture of a FuzziBunz fitted diaper:
And here is a basic pre-fold diaper:

Next we have the kind of diaper that I originally was most interested in making. This would be the all-in-one diaper, or AIO. This diaper is like the pocket diaper and insert sewn together as one diaper. AIOs can either have PUL as the outer fabric, or a hidden layer of PUL underneath the outer layer. People like the ease of AIOs because you don't have to go through the hassle of putting in an insert. It's basically like a reusable disposable diaper. The inner layer that touches baby's skin is similar to the inner layer of a fitted or pocket diaper. It's usually a polyester fabric that serves to wick away the moisture onto the absorbant inner layer. The AIOs that seems to be the most popular are the Bum Genius diapers. I have since decided that I do not like AIOs because they take a long time to dry and the absorbent layers are hidded. This means that you can't take them out to really clean them well. Here's a picture of a Bum Genius AIO:
Somewhere in between a pocket diaper and an AIO diaper, is the all-in-two diaper (AI2). This diaper has an outer shell (usually PUL outside and moisture wicking inside) but instead of a pocket, the insert snaps into the diaper on top of the inner lining. I think this is my favorite diaper because you really do have the best of both worlds. You have the ease of an AIO with the ability to wash the soaker separately. Plus, if baby only wets the soaker and doesn't soil the shell, you can just snap in another insert and use the shell through more than one diaper change. An example of an AI2 diaper is Softbums and here's a picture of one. The insert you see snaps into the back.

I also stumbled across a disposable-cloth hybrid diaper known as the gDiaper. This diaper is basically a diaper cover with a disposable insert. The disposable insert is earth friendly because it is flushable and it can completely decompose in less than half a year. However, the disposable inserts alone are just as expensive (if not more) than disposable diapers. The outer cover is made from cotton, but you also need an inner waterproof layer of nylon PUL that snaps in. So that's three separate layers: cover, liner, and disposable absorbtion pad. You can also fold up an infant pre-fold to use in place of the flushable liner. JUNE 2009 UPDATE: gCloth inserts are now available from the gDiapers website! Here's a picture of the gDiaper covers and disposable inserts: