Fitted Diaper Tutorial.

This tutorial is on a fitted diaper.  Fitted's are made of 100% absorbent fabrics with the option of a decorative outer and stay dry topper.  

 You will need: 

• •Diaper cut pattern piece
• • soaker pattern piece
• •absorbent fabric 
• •thread
• •elastic
• *optional: stay dry fabric, decorative outer, snaps or Velcro.

**you do NOT need PUL or water resistant fleece as these are not used in Fitted's.

Prep:

Cut two diaper cuts. (I used hemp fleece)

Soaker cuts for soaker pad.  (I used 1 hemp fleece, 3 flannel would be its equivalent)

Soaker cuts for snap in or flap style soaker (I used 3 flannel and one stay dry micro fleece. 

*iron all fabrics, clean bobbin run, use fresh needle.  Straight stitch except where specified.
I do not use snaps.  If you wish to add snaps before sewing.

Step 1: 

Lay your pieces for the snap in or flap style soaker with middle pieces on the bottom,  bottom piece next (face up), the top piece face down.  

Sew around edge leaving one side open. 

Cut off seam allowence and turn right side out.

Step 2

Pin open side closed and top stitch around the whole soaker.  About 1 inch in from hem stitch an oval (contour stitching helps spread wetness).  

Set this piece aside.

Step 3

Next place soaker pad piece(s) on the center of your inside diaper cut, on the wrong side. 

Sew around the entire edge of the diaper pad near the edge. 

Step 4

Now place both diaper cuts right side together and pin.  Sew the two pieces together leaving the front of the diaper open.  

Next tack your elastics in place at the back and the legs.  Do this step with a zig zag stitch .  Tack down one side of elastic, stretch to fullest, tack other end and then cut off remaining elastic.  There is a tutorial on this under the tutorial section at the right side of the page. 

Next trim off seam allowence except where the elastic is tacked.  

Step 5

Turn right side out.  Pin opening closed and set machine back to straight stitch. 

Sew opening closed.  As you come to the beginning of an elastic come out beside the elastic.  Lower needle into the fabric.  Stretch out the elastic and sew along side of the elastic (not threw it).  When you reach the end of the elastic come back in along the hemline.  

Step 6.  

Sew the soaker to the front of the diaper and your done. 

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

Hemp fabrics for diapers

Hemp is an environmentally friendly diaper choice.  Hemp is a fibrous material from the cannabis plant (and no you can't get high from it and yes it is legal in Canada and the US).  It grows very quickly so it is considered renewable.  To make fabric from hemp it is mechanically processed (as opposed to chemically processed like bamboo), and generally blended with cotton.  Being a natural fabric it has a washability of 10/10.  A simple straight forward wash routine will get your hemp fabrics clean wash after wash. Hemp is hypo-allergenic and antimicrobial (bamboo is not and can be fined for making claims that it is).  In my fabric reference page you will find several types of hemp fabrics (listed with their cotton counter parts).  Hemp Terry, French terry, BKT and hemp fleece are the main hemp diaper choices.

Hemp is more expensive then cotton, it is also 2-3 times more absorbent.  So although you would spend more buying the fabric, you would use less layers so price wise it should come out about the same (unless making flats). 

Preparing to sew with hemp fabric:
First you need to prewash for shrinkage before sewing.  After sewing you will need to prep by washing several times (5 minimum) to get out the natural oils.  

Using hemp in your diapers:
You can use hemp for any absorbent part of your diaper.  Being a natural fabric you can use it for the entire absorbent part if you like although bkt would be very thick.  You could make a very trim and absorbent diaper with hemp.  If you wanted a very eco friendly organic diaper pair hemp with wool and raw silk.