casing elastic & elastic placement tutorial

When it comes to elastic in my diapers I do it the same every time.  Same placement and I always tack and case.

Here is how I place my elastic: where the curve starts for the back of the leg.  Place a pin this is the back placement where you tack your leg elastic.  

Now directly above that is where your back elastic is tacked.  

Repeat in other side. 

The point where your front edge turns and your leg starts.  Pin.  This is where the you will tack the front of your elastic 

Tack your elastic down with a zigzag stitch.  This will hold it firmly and should you ever need to replace your elastic it is easy ti seam rip.  You'll notice the elastic is tacked in the seam allowenc .  (The part that is usually trimmed off), make sure your stitches do not cross the seam allowence into the diaper.  

Stretch that elastic as tight as possible to the other pin and tack then cut.  Repeat this for the legs.  I find this gives a sure fit much better then measuring a specific length.  

Now trim seam allowance except where you tacked elastic.  Turn right side out.  

As you are top stitching (straight stitch) each time you come to a place where your elastic is tacked come into the diaper a little so you are beside the start of the elastic.  Lower your needle into the fabric.  Then stretch the diaper out pulling the elastic taunt.  Hold your right hand where elastic ends.  Your left hand behind where it starts.  It is best to sew this in one smooth continuous run.   Come back in with your top stitching nearer the hem for areas that don't have elastic. 

OS Butterfly Fitted Tutorial

This is an OS (one size) snapless butterfly fitted.  I prefer pins, plus it allows the front and/or back to be folded down (like sizing a prefold) to fit as small as 7lbs and up to 28lbs (maybe more).  For my pattern click here

Before sewing make sure fabrics are prewashed and ironed.  Clean out your bobbin run and if needed, change your sewing needle.  If you are choosing to use snaps, add to outside layers before sewing.  

Butterfly's use very few layers because you fold in the side wings which triples your layers.  Usually I use 3 layers flannel (9 folded).  Today I am using 1 layer hemp fleece and I layer flannel.   Butterfly's are made with all absorbant fabric.  If you want a decorative outer it's best to choose something like Minky or flannel which is absorbent and decorative.  This is a very trim diaper! 

You will notice my butterfly has one white wing.  Well I decided to use a layer of microfleece now that Monkey is having big baby poops.  Microfleece only goes on layer next to baby's skin so I used the diamond stitch (L) on my machine to faux serge it onto the wing.  This gives a finished edge much better then a zigzag.  

Next place fabrics with right sides together.  If using 3 layers place middle layer on bottom.  Now sew around entire edge of diaper leaving the front open.  

Next we will add elastic to legs and back.  I do not measure elastic.  I tack down (zigzag stitch) one end in the seam allowence.  Then stretch elastic as tight as possible, tack down again and trim off access elastic. Once elastic is tacked trim off seam allowance except where elastic is tacked.  

Turn diaper right side out.  Pin opening closed.  Top stitch front of diaper.  As you come to the side, come out to beside elastic.  Lower needle into fabric.  (Your ignoring wings right now).  Pull elastic taunt and sew along inside edge of diaper, do the same across the back and down other side.  We have only top stitched the diaper portion, ignoring the wings.  

Now it is time to top stitch the perimeter of the wings.  When you cone to the elastic stretch and sew beside elastic finishing your casing.  Lastly do some contour stitching on the wings if you wish.  

All Done. 

Hybrid Fitted Tutorial

In this tutorial we will be making a hybrid fitted (HF) cloth diaper. 

Before starting any sewing, prewash and iron all fabrics.  Prewashing shrinks before sewing.  Not doing this can make things wonky after first wash.  Ironing makes any sewing project look better.  Please note I do not use snaps because I prefer pins as they give a better fit.  If you are using snaps, add these before sewing.

You will need: 

•any diaper or cover pattern of your choice.  

• any soaker pattern or cut oval to fit inside your diaper pattern.  

•water resistant fleece

•absorbant fabric

•elastic 3/8 braided

•universal thread

*optional stay dry fabric and decorative outer. 

We will start with the soakers.  For this I make 2 soakers to divide up the number of layers.  For a soker you need absorbent fabric.  A stay dry topper is optional.  The number of layers depends on fabric choice.  The fabric reference page (listed on right side of page) will help.  I have chosen:

Bottom Soaker: 

Hemp fleece, flannel, hemp fleece. 

Top Soaker: 

Hemp fleece, flannel, microfleece (stay dry topper).  

Layer your fabrics with middle layer(s) on bottom, then bottom layer (bottom side up), top layer (top side down). 

Lay all your fabrics with edges matching.  Pin if needed (based on skill and fabric).  Sew around the edge leaving one side (not end) of the soaker open.  Trim off your seam allowance.  Repeat with second soaker. 

Turn your soaker right side out and iron.  Pin open edge closed turning hem in.  Sew around the edge cloaing open seam in the process.  You have now turned and top stitched (t&t) your soakers.  I added contour stitching about an inch in.  This helps distribut wetness.  Vertical stitches do the same.  Set these aside.  

Next we are doing the shell. 

You need:

1 layer water resistant fleece

1outer layer (decorative or 2nd layer of water resistant fleece.

I used Arctic fleece and a decorative layer of 2 prints I sewed together (tutorial on cinbining knit and woven for decorative outer found in January 2015 archive) 

Place right sides together and pin.  

Sew around the edge of these diaper cuts.  Leave the front of the diaper open.  

Next we add elastic.  Turn your stitch dial to zigzag.  Tack down elastic in the seam allowence, stretch as tight as possible and tack down on other end. This gives a tighter elastic then a oremeasured amount.  Stretch as hard as possible.  You need to do this at the back and both legs.  Trim seam allowence except where elastic is tacked.

Turn right sides out.  Set your stitch dial back to straight stitch.  Pin opening closed turning hem in.  Now you are going to top stitch.  But as you get to the start of each elastic come out to the side of the elastic.  Lower needle into fabric.  Stretch area holding behind start of elastic and in front of the end of the elastic.  Keep the fabric pulled taunt, elastic fully stretched.  Sew along side the elastic but not through it.  You have now cased the elastic.  Come back in close to edge where there is no elastic.  Do this up one leg, across back, down the other leg.  

Your almost done! 

Sew the bottom soaker to the back of the shell, below the elastic.  

Sew the top soaker to the front of the diaper.  

Combining a knit and a woven for a decorative outer

2 piece decorative outers are popular for cloth diapers.  They look really nice when on baby, and that's the point :)

Knit fabrics are stretchy and notoriously hard to work with.  So when I found a knit I wanted to combine with a flannel I had, I made my job a little easier. 

Prep:
You'll need a diaper cut pattern and your two chosen fabrics, plus a scrap piece of woven. Cut half your pattern out if your woven  and half out of your knit.  Cut a second piece out of your scrap woven that matches your knit.  Iron all pieces.

Step 1: baste knit on top of a woven.  There now the problem is solved.  Iron fabrics.
*if both chosen fabrics are knits, back both in a woven like this.

Step 2: place front and back pieces of diaper cut with right sides together and pin. 

Step 3.  Sew hem with straight stitch.  Iron hem open.  Iron whole finished piece.  Now your done and ready to use your decorative outer. 

Which way does my fleece face? (Cotton, hemp, bamboo-rayon)

A common question is "which side of my fleece faces up?" Today we will discuss this for non poly fleeces.

Cotton, hemp & bamboo-rayon fleece (aka SHOBF, HOBF) are the type of material your sweat pants and sweat shirts are made of.  There is a flat side and a fuzzy side.  For an outer layer you want flat side out.  On the inside of the diaper you can go either way but it does effect absorbency. 

Fuzzy side facing bum:
•Will absorb more quickly; the pee will just pull right in. 
•will pill
•will create more lint

Smooth side facing bum:
•prevent pilling
•increase durability (good idea with bamboo as rayons are less durable)
•slow to absorb, topping with quick absorbing flannel will help. 

*remember to wash and dry for shrinkage before sewing.

Below: chocolate hemp organic fleece

Monkey is 9 months today.

Monkey in his moss bag...he wore a prefold, I didn't collect moss, not quite that crunchy lol.

Monkey at his 2nd protest.  I spoke on the environment while nursing him, in cloth diapers of course.

In his fitted leg prefolds.  This one was daddy's favorite. 

Daddy's favorite shirt was later upcycled to a prefold.  Monkey has a wool wrap on here

Football Sunday and Monkey has a sports theme wool cover with flannel decorative outer & football baby legs

Prefold with Hybrid layer (blizzard fleece) and tshirt outer.

Nursed to sleep in a wrap. 

Drum time in wool longies using monster bunz pattern from opulent monsters on etsy, with matching sweater vest.

Today.  Thrift stores are the best place to find jeans thay fit fluffy bums.  

Can I use this fabric?

Thriftiness and cloth diapering often (but not always) go hand in hand.  Consequently it is common to hear "can I use this fabric" with a picture or vague classification.  I understand and applaud the thrifty, always looking for a deal or upcycle attitude.  I do.  But, this is going on your baby's bum, right next to their skin, in the region of their genitals.  For this reason mystery fabric is out in my opinion.  If the fabric and fiber content is clearly labelled or easily identified check the fabric reference page here.   You can also fine it on the right hand side of the blog with a list of key pages. 

I found Fleece
Fleece blankets often show up for sale in stores.  If its cotton,  hemp or bamboo-rayon it is absorbing.  But most fleece in stores is poly.  Issue here is which poly fleece?  You can water test to see if it beads (water resistant), or if it wicks (brings water through but feels dry-ish to the touch (micro fleece, usually very thin).  The problem is you have to wash fleece first to see how it will preform.  I've tested fleece blankets at home and not found one that was ideal for making an HF.  You can test it OTB (on the bum).  But be prepared that it may not preform. 

Bathmats, cleaning rags, sham wows, and other fabrics not designed to be worn
Key here; not designed to be worn. 
Yes you could possibly use it.  However it is going on your baby's bum and it wasn't designed too.   I recommend passing on these items.  It gives me the heebie geebies thinking of diapers made of such items.  Who knows what's in it? 

Shower curtains and other water proof items:
No.  Just don't.  Yes it would be waterproof as a diaper cover, aio or pocket.  But still don't, it's a great way to end up with baby having diaper rash and or heat rash because it's not breathable at all.  Yes someone came up with the first plastic pant this way, it became popular and was used for a few decades by some.  But during those decades there was a resurgence in diaper rash that hadn't been seen since the dirty dark ages of Europe.  We have pul and tpu and water resistant fleece now, we've always had wool. Make covers out of these fabrics.  Wool can be upcycled.  Fleece can be found on sale.  Sorry no cheap pul/tpu options. 

Upcycled clothing and bedding towels. 
Go for it!  Just double check to know what it is for sure and check the fabric reference page for use.  T-shirts are best for decorative outers, towels tend to be Terry. And flannel can be found in bedding and flannel shirts.  Wool is often used for covers.  Make sure its wool of at least 80% wool and no cotton, hemp or bamboo-rayon as they will make it absorb. Minky cuddle blankets? Probably a  great decorative outer.  

Have fun thrift shopping, and for some fun, here's Macklemore for inspiration lol. 

Retail Therapy Cloth Mama Style

So today was a day of disappointment here.  I was supposed to be able to visit my hubby and it got cancelled.  I'm not going into details here, but there was tears. 

So I went online to simplififabrics.com. and I bought some fabric.  Remember my post on my dream diaper? Ok well didn't quite get that but I did get a lovely
Hemp fleece 400 gsm in chocolate.  I'm loving that its in chocolate.  And no sherpa or printed cotton fleece, so I got this sweet organic flannel print.  In the end I will likely sew a fitted with fleece wings, flannel front, flannel topped fleece soaker. The flannel isn't as wide as I need for monkey so I'll have to play around with it when it's here

I stopped crying mostly.  I love my hubby and I miss him.  But with Simplifi's 2 day shipping at only $9 Monkey will have new diapers for daddy when he gets home. 

Try a new style!

So today I came across a complaint I have heard before ... "No matter what brand if AIO's I use I get leg leaks"  I have heard this with pockets too.  Likely the issue is wicking rather then leaks.  This is cuz where the PUL meets the absorbent fabric (or wicking), you sometimes get a wicking "leak" especially with tight or clingy fitting clothes in the crotch area. 

The part I don't get is how many times are you going to buy a different brand of the same thing if it's not working for you?  

Try A New Style!. 
Look over at the right hand corner of the page here and you will see a small lists of my blogs which I think would be most useful.  Read the diaper styles review (link here).  If a style appeals to you then click on its name for a more in depth look.  If you want something your used to already, try a fitted with a pul cover or an HF.  A wool in one would be most similar if your ready to try wool. 

There is a world beyond aio's and pockets!
I swear diapering is more interesting then 2 very similar styles.  Have you checked all the diapers I have reviewed?  Its a huge big world.  A diaper style for every family on the block.  And more waiting to be invented.  Like someone should make a wool pocket.... But publicly note it was my idea lol.  I'd do it but I hate stuffing pockets.  The inner layer would have to be wicking jersey to not be effected by lanolizing....I think.  I'd love to test with raw silk and hemp inserts it would be the most posh of enviro diapers, and enviro in every way!  No controversial bamboo-rayon, no synthetic anything lol.  I'd maybe stuff a diaper for that lol. 

So you ready? Go explore!
I challenge everyone to try a new style,  just one new diaper in regular rotation!

In my home I've been trying out Mini's.  I like them, it makes everything a bit more trim.  But I dislike snaps and that's the only thing I don't love about them.  And well it was the last style for me to try (except flips, but I'm just not interested lol).  To try another there will need to be a new style invented. 

AIO with tongue and pocket tutorial share

So this is not my design or tutorial but I came across a fb post where someone shared it, then I checked it out and it's a great design and tutorial.  Please keep in mind you don't have to use the fabrics she does.  You could use any absorbent fabrics for the absorbent part.  She uses prefolds which make the tutorial more simple for sure.  You will need PUL or TPU to make it an aio's/pocket.  You could however make a hybrid this way using water resistant fleece if you wanted and create a hybrid pocket!  Remember there is no real "have to's" and have fun!
Tutorial link

Night time CD solutions and how often to change cloth.

First lets talk about when to change a diaper -daytime use.
People wonder how often do I need to change a cloth diaper.  The answer varies a little. 

A newborn needs changing about every 1.5-2 hours on average.  An older baby about every 2-4 hours.  Or whenever baby poops.

The answer is in part how absorbent a cloth diaper is and how often baby pees. 

Cloth diapers are not designed to hold 6 pees or more like disposables are.  This is a good thing.  It is healthy for baby to be changed and not sitting in their own urine.  Personally when I see disposables advertise "good for 12 hours" I just think that's sad. 

You could in theory make a cloth diaper that lasted that long but why? Also it would have ammonia issues. 
What about at night?
Well a newborn is gonna need to eat throughout the night. There bodies require that.  Consequently they pee and poop more and need more diaper changes. An added soaker will give you that extra hour of sleep if your newborns system will allow it.  As your baby gets older they will pee less often, eat less ofte. and wake less at night.  So yes you might need a long haul diaper for nights.  Especially if you co-sleep (and so likely nurse throughout the night with you and baby barely aware).  Its a good way to get sleep for some families.  Depends on mom and baby. 

Regardless you want that nighttime long haul absorbency
So we do have 6 pee diapers....but that's for night.  You let all diapers get that full of urine all the time and you will have issues.

Having a specific night time diaper is a popular option.  Some company's even make nighttime specific diapers.
•sloomb overnight diaper
•mother ease Sandy's diaper

You can also make your own nightime diaper.  Fitteds and HF's tend to be the best night time performers as are wool covers.  You can use any absorbent fabric of your choice.  I use flannel.  But the big performers here are hemp or bamboo-rayon fleece and hemp or bamboo-rayon terry.  I do not recommend zorb or MF.  Its no secret I'm not a fan if these fabrics but their compression leak problems are a big night time issue.  If you don't usually use a stay dry layer you might want to for a night time specific diaper.  It is optional, I haven't yet. 

Night time attachments.
Another alternative is to make boosters or doublers for nights.  This is a soaker but references this specific use.  A high absorbency fabric soaker often with a staydry layer.  You can also makes an HF shell (water resistant fleece cover).  With these options you lay your booster into your regular diaper  and put the fleece shell over it.   With a pocket you can make a set of night time soakers with your bottom most layer being a water resistant fleece.  It's not as effective as the fitted adjustments but it will help.

And lastly a wool cover.  It really is the night time bullet proof answer. 

Why are Fitted's popular at night?  They just work great and are more versitile for adding fleece, wool, and a booster.  With a pocket or aio you can really only add the booster although you could make  wool longies (pants that double as diaper covers) to use as pajama pants over your pocket or aio with the added booster inside. 

Fit
With the added booster (night soaker), you need to make sure you haven't made your diaper to tight.  A diaper that is to tight will add to leaks. 

Throughout the night
If your baby wakes and that diaper needs changing, change it.  Just cuz baby has a night time diaper that will make it through the night doesn't mean it always should.  For this reason I recommend 3-4 night time diapers for a 2 day laundry routine.

When Morning Comes
Come morning if baby slept through the night you are going to have a very urine soaked diaper.  Rinse it and rinse it well.  Now I recommend rinsing every diaper.  But if you don't, please do with the night time diaper come morning.  And not a little run under the tap or sprayer.  Fully soak under tap, wring and repeat, and then again.  It's common to hear "I have ammonia but only in my nighttime diapers".  Yeah well that's cuz they got peed in all night and then the ammonia from urine built up till laundry time.  This also is why we don't make cloth diapers that last 8 hours....except for nighttime diapers. 

Post share: diapering facts

I read a blog post today that I'd like to share : here. Its a pretty interesting post.  The only 2 corrections I'd like to make is where it says diaper rash was almost unheard of till the 1940's with the introduction if rubber and plastic pants.  Diaper rash in the form or ammonia burn was common in the middle ages in Europe with babies in swaddling.  This is because they used to dry out the swaddling in front of a fire without washing, and only washed once a week.  Freaking gross right?  Thankfully for those poor European babies a doctor finally figured out that if the swaddling was washed after each use baby would have a clean healthy bum. 

Second: you do not need 6 dozen diapers? Who wrote that? Lol.  2 dozen will do. 

Did you know the part about emptying poop from a sposie into the toilet?  I did, its part of how I convinced by Man to man up and cloth diaper.  I said "fine I use cloth and pay for that, you use sposies and pay for them.  If you run out, then welcome to cloth.  Oh and by the way, I won't have poop sitting in my house so follow the directions and dispose if it in the toilet.  Cuz its actually illegal to put poop in the garbage".  He's a big cloth fan now lol.  

Love HF's but cant afford the switch? Make HF shells

So you love HF's (hybrid Fitted's) or think you will,  but you already have a full stash?  Or you just can't wrap your head around the added cost.  Well its not a lost cause!  You can make an HF shell to put over your flats, prefolds, Fitted's, daddy flats, butterfly's or mini's. 

What's an HF shell?
Its basically a fleece wrap with or without a decorative outer.  You can also use it between diaper and cover at night to boost leak protection. 

What do I need to make a hybrid shell?
•One diaper cut water resistant fleece
•One diaper cut decorative outer (Minky and upcycled t-shirts are popular)*optional
•one water resistant fleece soaker cut *optional
•3/8th inch braided elastic. 
•universal thread. 
• follow any turn and topstitch cover pattern / tutorial.
•pins, snappi, boingos, snaps or velcro

There you have it.  2-4 will do.  I have 4.  I can get 3 fleece wrap cuts from 1/2 a meter, same with Minky outer.  I don't add the soaker layer but many like too. 
Bellow:  hybrid shell, diaper in shell, an OTB (on the bum). 

EBF poop and the modern myth

I  going to dispel with explanation an ebf poop myth.  Please read before dismissing

When I started cloth diapering I was told by my Mom and Grandma to rinse diapers after use.  Makes sense to me so I did.  Keep in mind that at that time diapers were 100% cotton like they were in their day.  Also remember that all natural cloth diapers (cotton or hemp) clean the easiest. 

Well somewhere in the last 19 years that changed.  Now women are told you don't need to rinse diapers filled with urine or ebf (exclusively breastfed) poop.  That my fellow CD moms is a myth.  I am going to explain why so please keep reading.

It doesn't matter if your babe is ebf, poop is poop.  Breast milk may be liquid gold.  I won't argue that.  I am after all breastfeeding for the 6th time and nearing my 12th (non consecutive) year of breastfeeding.  However the human waste byproducts of breast milk are poop and urine.  And no amount of your liquid gold milk changes that. 

Ebf poop, like all other human poop contains e. coli and several staph bacteria's. Baby urine also has some e. coli and staph bacteria.  Not all are dangerous but some are.  Regardless, we wash our hands because contact with human waate is unsanitary.  Once human urine was believed to be sterile but science has proven otherwise.  Regardless baby urine causes ammonia just like adult urine.  

E. COLI. Do I need to say it again?  Ebf poop and urine contain e. coli.  This is why we don't poop and pee where we drink, sleep and live (well no we flush it away from us).  Its why my Native ancestors were strict about this.  Its why my French ancestors (and the ancestors of all people with European blood) lived in sick and squalid conditions from not following this respect for the dangerous bacteria human waste contains. 

Ebf poop might be water soluble but that doesn't mean it's safe. E. coli is not water soluble!  So yes rinse your soiled diapers.  How clean do you think your diapers really are if being cleaned in e.coli filled water?  And if you have an HE water, which recycles that e.coli infested water, there is no way  those diapers are deep down clean. 

Add to the issue that using more then two layers of synthetic fabrics (bamboo includes) makes a diaper that struggles to be clean.  Then there is MF, designed to trap dirt and Germs.  And don't forget zorb which includes MF fibers and other synthetics.  This is not gonna magically deep clean ever especially if cleaning in poop water!

If your disposable diapering neighbor has a poop blow out you can bet your ass the outfit is being rinsed them laundered asap
  If your cousin's toddler pees the bed at night your cousin will also rinse and then launder asap. 

But you heard a wet pail would breed germs?  Possibly, but that's why we launder often.  We aren't talking a pail full of sitting water.  Also you can hang diapers over the edge of the pail.  Anyhow the bacteria e. Coli that is breeding and ammonia that is growing in your bag of dry poop and pee filled diapers is way worse then my rinsed diapers.  Also that's we we wash every 2-3 days.  Preferably 2 when possible.  I know it means extra laundry, but that is part of doing what is best for baby.  

When did cloth mom's  become the lazy ones?  For me cloth is about an environmental choice but also a healthy choice for my child.  Please keep your child's bum healthy and take that small quick step to rinse the diaper before tossing it in the pail!

Does anyone know when people started telling others it was ok to leave poop sitting around in a diaper till laundry day?  Do they have a better explanation the "ebf is water soluble?  What about the ammonia growing in pee diapers?  Or did everyone just accept it because if you go onto a CD internet group and say you have to rinse ebf poop, they bully you into saying it's fine?  Bullying people into dirty myths does not make the myth real. I know how it works, I tried several such groups.  

You know when people ask why I cloth diaper I list several reasons.  One of those reasons is cuz I think its gross to have a bag of poop sitting  in my house waiting for garbage day Like disposable diapering parents do.  You can imagine my shock last year when I discovered that many CD moms now have the same thing. 

Do You Want My Completely Biased Opinion? -whats the best CD

Ok so I previously blogged about my dream diaper.  That does not mean I think it's the all around number one choice I would recommend.  I have cloth diapered 6 babies.  Its fair to say I have more experience then most mostly because nowadays most moms don't have 6 kids.  And i just want to try new things, sew new things all the time (im a genini),  I have also tried almost every diaper style (some styles are very similar to others).   Also having been at this for almost 19 years I have spent 19 years talking to CD moms and heard a lot of opinions.  And from those who have tried a range if styles I hear the same things over and over and tend to agree with their sentiments.  There are diaper styles I love, like, don't care for & down right hate.  Like I said, my completely biased opinion; knowledgeable, but biased lol. 

Not a fan of most modern cloth:
I admit it.  Not a fan of pockets, aio's or flips.  They aren't great overnight, they have leg wicking issues, pul has low breathability.  They don't wash so great.  They might be modern,   they might be popular, but it doesn't make them the best.  Most moms however only try these same styles in various brands over and over. 

Ditch those fabrics:
MF shouldn't touch the skin, washes terribly and has leak issues over time.

Zorb, better then MF but in the end has the same issues over time to a lesser degree.   Want to know why?  Cuz it contains MF!!

Bamboo-rayon.  It just ticks me off to no end that it is passed off as organic.  And well this is my completely biased opinion so there you have it, I don't like it cuz it's a big fat lie. 

Oh the laundry issues:
Yeah in my opinion the best cloth diapers do not take 3-4 hours to wash and dry in machines!  So you can bet that's another reason most modern cloth does not even come close to being considered in my biased opinion. 

(I'm loving saying that; my biased opinion lol).

I don't know about you but my mom schedule would rather have a bath then have a complicated 3 hour laundry routine every 2 days.  I got other laundry to do too ya know. 

And my washing machine shouldn't slowly destroy my diapers (good bye pul). 

The diapers I do like:
I like diapers with cotton and hemp.  I was skeptical of Minky and fleece but in limited layers I'm ok with it. 

I really like using HF's.  They are cuddly and easy to use. 

Prefolds work great and are an excellent newborn start.  And nothing but a flat will
wash cleaner.

Fitted's are awesome and an overnight work horse. 

Any of these choices will make you a happy camper. 

But the one diaper I would say is your best option? 
Butterfly fitted made of cotton or hemp, done up with pins or snappis, with wool covers and a few HF shells. 

The butterfly works just as well as a fitted.  But it washes like a prefold.  This is because its a modification of a prefold into a fitted.

3 layers of flannel, max.  Use hemp and you don't even need that! You have a small number of natural layers so it will wash like a dream.  Just a regular old wash cycle.  That's all.  No extra rinses, pre-rinses and on and on. 

The elastics give you a secure leg fit and waist fit.  Pins or snappi's; They last, they are easier then you think.  Velcro wears out.  Snaps are fiddly and there are like a gazillion of them (biased over statement).  And pins and snappi's give a better fit.  Pins also reduce wing droop.

Actually, for real, newborn to potty use.  Yeah none of this fits newborn at 10lbs garbage.  Pretty sure 10lbs is like the 100th percentile for newborn weight so yeah, whose newborn?  Use pins or snappi's and you can fold down front and or back for a truly, for real os fit. 

Wool is the night time miracle cover.  Its also great in the daytime.  No wicking sending you to change and wash an outifit like PUL.  No wearing out during kid #2 or 3.  Your grandbabies will be able to use them.  Why not use the best night time cover during the day? 

Add a few HF shells to throw over the butterfly.  It'll boost night time and is fun in the day.  I just like HF's, an HF shell however turns any flat, prefold, fitted and style in between I to an HF. 

It is easy to use:
Seriously, fold in sides and suddenly its a fitted.  It takes 2 seconds.  Quicker then stuffing, or snapping in a soaker.  Just fold it in.  A guy can do it, in fact a 12 year old guy could do it.  Ok your hubby is gonna hate pins unless you start him on day one or have him practice on a doll.  But he can and will use a snappi, or boingos. 

Surprised? 
Yeah I get that I'm likely the first to say "I've tried them all; make some butterfly's".  But to back up my biased  opinion, the most common style to get the recommendation of best style is a fitted, with wool.  On peoples tests prefolds always rank equal to a fitted, more likely to leak due to less elastic, but easier to wash, and I think people are hesitant to say prefold cuz new parents might worry that if the best CD is what their mom used then maybe they will stick with disposables. 

Well the butterfly is the best of both, so there ya go, want the easiest all around CD experience?  Go butterfly and wool.