2014-February: Birds and Crazy Animals Pocket Diapers

These were for my friend E.  I made similar Zorb-and-thin-cotton-IKEA-blanket inserts to go with them (a small and a large each) but I didn't take photos of those.

I tried something different on the bird one: a "hybrid pocket" with water-resistant fleece instead of PUL!  It had a woven outer, then pink fleece, then a suedecloth inner.  I'll show you some process photos.

Sewing the print together so it's right-side-up on both front and back

finished outer

hidden fleece instead of hidden PUL! (don't mind the random stuff on my desk . . . I've since stopped burning my yuzu incense since it bothers the hubby, even from the other end of the house)

Finished inside

Finished outside

The fleece inside the pocket!  

This design didn't work very well.  I mean, it sort of worked, but nowhere near as well as hidden PUL (which still wicks if you don't have enough absorbency).  It may have been the fleece I used (old baby blanket).  I know hybrid FITTEDS can work really well with the right fleece (and more absorbency!).

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The crazy animals pocket had a knit outer, hidden PUL, and suedecloth inner.  I seamed the outer print so both sides were up on this one, too!

Crossover snaps snapped

Inside with welt pocket

Closeup of welt pocket!  I was so proud of myself for making such a nifty-looking pocket.

2014-January: Pair of Hidden PUL pocket diapers (Bears and Stars)

Two more diapers for J's twins!  I made my first welt pockets on these -- not too hard to do, and it looks really sharp.  I made the inserts, too: a layer of Zorb sandwiched between some dimpled cotton material from an IKEA blanket!  I quilted them with hearts and I REALLY LIKE the way it looks; I may quilt lots more stuff like this in the future.

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Here they are together.  Last photo is them all snapped down to the smallest size and looking cute!

Overall I've fallen out of love with hidden PUL; when I eventually got these diapers back for C, they did wick more than I'd like.  Also, though the suedecloth is great for its stay-dry purpose, it doesn't stretch and made these diapers feel sort of . . . floppy.  And not as cushy.  That star patterned knit is waaaay softer and fluffier on these newborn fitteds than here with suedecloth and PUL.

I'm currently using those inserts in other pockets and they work great!

2014-January: Pair of Upcycled Fitteds

Does it count as upcycling when you buy some towels to turn into diapers?  Maybe repurposing?  Anyway, I wanted to try another set of small fitteds for J's expected twins.  These outers were towels I got for cheap at IKEA!  By the way, she didn't know the genders at this point, so I tried to make things gender-neutral.

The more primary one has an inner of my same old green shirt.  The purpley one has a bamboo velour inner.  Both have soakers of bamboo fleece topped with light blue stay-dry suedecloth.

Towels are hard to sew!  I don't think I will try that again. :)  However, these worked great when I got them back for C.

Process photo: choosing snap colors!  Can I mention how much I love choosing snap colors?  It is so fun!!

All four together

2014-January: Pair of Upcycled AI2 cloth diapers

I found out that my friend J, pregnant with TWINS, wanted to try cloth diapering!  Naturally I wanted to make her some things to get her stash going.  Because twins means two of everything!!  Working toward her shower, I got sewing on a bunch of diapers.  I wanted to give her some Smalls that would work between Newborn size and One-size.

Also, I decided that my OTHER pregnant friend E would benefit from my sewing experiments, too -- so lots of diaper sewing around this time!

These were the first "twin" diapers I made: a set of small all-in-twos with hidden PUL.  (I guess they are more all-in-one, actually.)  Inners were an old sweatshirt, outers two old shirts of mine, and the soakers I topped with some cute flannel prints.

After zig-zagging the velcro of the green one, I did not like how it looked, so went with straight stitch on the other.  I think it came out neater.

I realized way later that my attempts to "roll" the PUL inward on the legs would do me no good with the cotton outers!  It was bound to wick.  I did end up using these on C when J gave them back (yay!), and they did wick, but not too badly.

2013-December: Sunny Sky undies/trainers, or "Sunnies!"

These were made with the Lillestoff Sunny Sky print, which quickly became my daughter's FAVORITE. (If anyone out there has any of this print knit for sale, let me know because I'd love to buy more!)  They were trainers in that they had an inner of fleece and something absorbent in the wetzone (why can't I remember?), but she mainly wore them as regular underpants.

She referred to them as "Sunnies!" and that's what she now calls this print.  I should have bought way more at the time, but a) it was expensive!!, and b) I had no clue that it would become so beloved.  I use what I have sparingly now, to spread it out over as many garments as I can for her!

2013-December: Star NB bamboo fitted #2!

Here is the second diaper (yellow snaps), which came out a smidge better than the first (really, the first was not so bad).  I didn't take any pictures of just the second one, sorry!  These were newborn size, by the way, and SO CUTE!!  My baby C ended up fitting in them supremely well and they were generally awesome!

2013-Dec: Star NB fitted cloth diaper!

Here it is!  The first cloth diaper I ever made!  It was for a pregnant friend, but I didn't think it came out well enough so I made a second one just like it.  I gave her the second one and kept this as a memento.  Later I used them both on my second baby (my friend gave hers back for my use, how nice!) and really, they both worked great.

I just love the knit print, and the inside bamboo velour feels SO soft and cozy.

2013-December: Bear Trainers

I made these for E. for nighttime.  They were ultimately too small for her, so I gave them to a friend for her son.  These were lined with red Polartec fleece . . . I thought it would be stay-dry ("wicking"), but I think it was water-repellent . . . so might not have worked all that well anyway.  I had something absorbent in there, too -- I forget.  And thus began my era of actual sewing!!

2013-July: Ice Cream Train Undies

Just some white underpants I painted for E!  I surprised her with some familiar characters and general silliness.  She was really into playing with her Brio-esque train tracks at this point, so I tried to draw the leg borders as the wooden tracks.  These were all done in marker.

front

back

Those horses are Brownie and Bluey, the FIRST PONIES she got, which set off her whole love of ponies.  We got them at a yard sale. Bluey was her first My Little Pony!

2013-June: Camping Sweatshirts

These were customs for two sisters who camped on the Oregon coast during the summer.  And yes, you need a sweatshirt for summer camping on the Oregon coast! :)  I ran with the idea of using the front kangaroo pocket as a tent on both of them.

Jessie - front

Jessie - back

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Ella - front

Ella- back