More about diapers

 So, I put together 2 diapers this afternoon. By the time I got to the second, I had the method figured out, and got the time down to 50 minutes, including the time to take the pictures. So, once I really get on to it, the time should get shorter than that, I hope. The first step was to take the soaker pad, and fold it into fourths, and centre it, and sew it down the centre of the wrong side of the outer layer of the diaper. That's the part to do all the hard work. Four layers of what is supposed to be very absorbent hemp terry cloth fabric.

 

 Then it was time to work on the "mess containing" gussets. Fold them in half, stitch a casing to hold the elastic, then thread the elastic through the casing and secure in place on either end so that the elastic will stay firmly in place. They end up looking like really funny quarter moon shapes. I used the microfleece for the gussets, since I think they will be softer on his little legs.

 Next, layer the diaper outside and inside together, pin well, something I don't normally do when sewing, but this stuff is really stretchy, and I didn't want it to stretch out of shape. The gussets don't get pinned on, but stretched to fit the leg opening while sewing. I've been using the serger stretch stitch on my machine, so that the edges get finished at the same time as sewing them. I tried sewing one with seams and turning it yesterday, but it ended up really bulky, and almost double the time, because the whole thing would have had to been top stitched around the outside once it was sewn, in order to finish it. And I didn't like the way it looked, or how it would have fit.

 

And here is the finished product, wrapped around a pressing ham, to give it shape, and show what it looks like. The size can be adjusted just be folding down the front, or the back, and by wrapping the waist tabs tighter or looser. This is pretty much the biggest size. It can be used with a special kind of fastener that grips the terry cloth loops. I can't remember the name of it off the top of my head. But they are meant to be used with waterproof, fitted diaper covers. So, 2 done, 34 to go...........