Cloth Diaper Making: Do you think I can?

LoveDrewb · February 2012

Hello,

Dh and I will be trying TTC in the near future. I would like to cloth diaper and am wondering if I should invest in the Babyville line from Joann's. I have been sewing on and off for about 5 yrs, basic cottons and straight lines mostly. I have a pretty low frustration tolerance difficulty with the machine/tension/ect. I bought the book and each step looks "possible" but overall very overwhelming. I would probably purchase the main bulk of my stash, so this would be for just "fun" ones.

Would you risk the money to get the Babyville stuff or just save my sewing for things I know I can do? TIA

shanbrite2 · February 2012

If it's "just for fun," I wouldn't start with Babyville. I would start with some fitteds (absorbent diapers with elastic, but not waterproof, so need a cover). That way you aren't dealing with the frustration of PUL, which can be finicky. I bought the Darling Diapers Unlimited pattern and used it for fitteds and I liked it because it had a lot of clear instructions and pictures. The only hitch with fitteds is that you'll probably need to buy the material online, since you can find the good stuff in fabric stores like Joann. However, you CAN start off with materials you have around the house (t-shirts, flannel blankets, etc.) and you can do a test run to see if you can hand;e the frustration level. There is a learning curve, but you can do it! There are also a LOT of people online (here and elsewhere) who are happy to help.

LoveDrewb · February 2012

Thanks for the encouragement!

jl&jl · February 2012

I'd definitely say you can...but I will say that even though I'm an experienced sewer, diapers are tricky.

I've made (and included the links if you're interested in more about the stuff)...

pocket diapers http://bornambitous-bornimaginative.blogspot.com/2011/03/cloth-diaper.html

newborn covers and a flip system http://bornambitous-bornimaginative.blogspot.com/2011/06/baby-cloth-gift-pack.html

and wool covers http://bornambitous-bornimaginative.blogspot.com/2012/02/upcycled-wool-diaper-cover-from-sweater.html

And...I still get mad when I'm making them, inevitably.

If you want to work with PUL, I'd say first start with a wetbag (http://bornambitous-bornimaginative.blogspot.com/2011/04/wet-bags.html)...that will get you used to the different way PUL feeds through the machine.

Or, another good project for CDing is wipes. You can collect flannel jammies, receiving blankets, etc. to whip them up easily. http://bornambitous-bornimaginative.blogspot.com/2011/04/cloth-wipes.html

I definitely want to encourage you to give it a go though....you can save oodles! Diapers just require a bit more patience, IMO, Good luck...and post what you create!

CABunny · February 2012

I bought the Babyville book at Jo-Ann using a 50 percent off coupon and then just bought a small amount of supplies (PUL and FOE). I didn't buy aplix because I prefer snaps & already have a snap press.

Anyway, I found the patterns really easy to follow and had no issues. I'd consider myself somewhat of a beginner sewer. So far, I've only made three covers though because I got obsessed with peasant dresses shortly thereafter, lol. For sewing with PUL, I put some tape on my sewing machine foot to make it run through smoother.

I don't know how the Babyville PUL will hold up but I've started buying PUL elsewhere anyway.

So, I'd give it a shot if I were you. Especially since Jo-Ann has so many coupons all of the time (get the app!) that the investment would be pretty low, imo.

Cloth Diaper Making: Do you think I can?

Re: Cloth Diaper Making: Do you think I can?

Choose Another Board

Search Boards