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Quick and Simple Pocket Diaper
- Sep 3, 2009 at 1:15 AM
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- Comments (17) Total Views (1742) Everyone can see this journal post.
This is how I make a simple pocket diaper. Including time for snacks, I can make one while the kiddos nap. I picked the absolute worst material to use on my how-to diaper, though. It kept rolling under, shifting, and being a pain in general. So this one is sloppy, but you'll get the idea.
These are my materials: 1 - 1.5" Touch Tape, 2 - Fabric marking pen, 3 - Hair clips, 4 - 5/8" Elastic, 5 - the pattern I drafted using this tutorial, 6 - Polyester Fleece, 7 - PUL, 8 - Pretty Fabric
The first thing I do is trace my pattern onto the three layers. My pattern has a white and a blue side. Since it was hands drawn, it's not totally symmetrical. So I have to do the top layer, the cute pattern, with the white side of my pattern facing up. For the PUL, it's blue side up, and the fleece (or whatever inner) is white side up again. This makes sure all the layers line up as much as possible. One my final layer, the fleece, I mark through the whole in the pattern where my elastics will start and end.
The next step is to put Touch Tape on the outer layer. I cut a piece of the loop side so that it covers most of the front of the diaper. I don't want or need it to go all the way to the edges. I center it, leaving about half an inch at the top, and clip it into place.
I attach the Touch Tape using a zigzig stitch, so that one side of the stitch hits the velcro and one side only hits the fabric. I used to always use a straight stitch, but I found out that's pretty much like perforating the thing and just waiting for it to rip out. Almost all my diapers get washed every day, so they need to be tough. When I get to the corners, I stop when the needle is on the fabric, not the touch tape, lift the presser foot, turn it, and keep going.
I keep on going until I cross over my starting point for a few stitches so I won't need to back stitch.
Now I have to put the layers together. First is the outer fabric with the print side DOWN. Then it's the PUL with the shiny side UP. Last is the fleece with the markings facing UP. Usually I lay them all out on the carpet (because the table is a mess) to put together. If you do that, make sure you don't stretch out the fabric on the carpet. Carpet tends to grab a little like velcro, so when you lift up your clipped stack, the stretched fabric shrinks back down and throws the whole thing off.
I clip all my layers together with the hair clips. Little tip - I got mine in the little girls' hair accessory aisle after seeing the silver "sewing" ones were twice as expensive. Plus how fun are those colors? lol I make sure I don't put any clips on top of my marking dots.
The next step is to stitch the casing for the elastic. Fleece side up and using a normal straight stitch, I begin at my first side marking, a couple millimeters from the edge. Don't forget to back stitch for this one! I'm sewing directly away from the edge for about and inch, and then turn at a 90 degree angle to follow the curves of the diaper leg.
Another nice thing about those clips is they help me keep track of how far I am from the edge. If I aim straight for the hole at the end of the clip, the casing is about the perfect depth.
This is the finished casing on all three sides. (Sorry it doesn't show up better.) When I get to my ending mark, I turn back toward the edge at an angle and stop a little bit before I hit the actual edge. Back stitch to end it.
The next step is to put the elastic into that casing. It goes between the fleece and the PUL. I stretch my elastic about 75% of the way as far as it can go. If I do it all the way, it rips out of it's tacking after a while. So I stretch it out as much as I like it on top of my casing sections and cut it to the right length. One of these days I'm going to just write down the measurement so I don't have to always eye it like this.
I stick one end of the elastic right down into that corner I created. I want it as far to the back as I can get it. Sometimes I clip it in place, sometimes I just keep it pinched in my fingers. I sew across the width of the elastic a couple centimeters below the end of it, going back over my stitches a couple times. I'm just tacking down that one end, but I do not want it ripping out later.
This is what it looks like when one side is tacked in place. You'll have to kind of take my word for it, because like a dummy, I used white thread. Sorry!
And this is what it looks like when all the ends are tacked into place.
Now I'm going to begin the faux-serging. I set my zigzag stitch to be almost as wide as it gets and very close together. It's not quite as close as a button hole stitch would be, though. Between me not cutting perfectly and the layers sliding around, they don't line up perfectly, so I always look to see which layer is the furthest away from the others. I make sure I'm stitching where all three will be included. In this case I had to go back quite a ways. Oops!
I follow my edge, letting the machine move the fabric, not pulling but keeping the fabric taut. When I get to the places where the elastic is, I stretch the whole thing out to make sure that it is well inside that casing. It's like a sandwich and I want the elastic filling all tucked inside and covered. I pull it all tight and use my fingers or some clips to keep the fabric from pulling back. Again, you have to let the machine do the actual movement, though.
See? Here is a clip helping me out, and here is that elastic hiding inside like I want it to. I have to periodically stop as I go along to make sure I'm getting all three layers and NOT sewing on the elastic itself.
I just keep on going around the whole diaper. Just like the velcro, I only lift up the foot and turn when I get to a corner. This is what a corner looks like. My original pattern has rounded corners, so I just sort of wing it when I trace the pattern. As you can see, they're almost never all the same. As long as I'm getting all three layers, it doesn't matter.
Here's the diaper after all the edging is finished. Once again, I just keep going until I cross over my starting point, and then cut the thread.
The next thing I do is trim up my edges. And let me tell you, they need it! I get as close to the thread as I can, but am really careful not to cut it. If I do, it's back to the machine to stitch over it.
Now I put the hook and loop sides of the Tough Tape together. I cut twice to make two sets of each.
The hook one goes at the edge and gets zigzagged into place. The loop piece goes next to it with a little bit of space between them. These are your fancy little laundry tabs. If I really wanted to be fancy, I would have sewn on the loop side onto the top piece back at the beginning so it was a hidden tab. Oooo... even fancier.
Almost done! I just have to cut an opening into the fleece. I fold the diaper in half lengthwise and pinch the fleece where the center is. Now this is super important: Make sure you grab the PUL and outer fabric with your other hand and pull them away from the fleece. If you cut those layers, bye-bye diaper.
I make a little slit first and then lay the diaper flat to cut it open wider. As someone in the MM08 group pointed out to me, fleece doesn't unravel and none of mine have ever even ripped at the edges of the opening. I love it!
I use microfiber dish towels as "stuffing." They're longer at one end, so I can fold them double in the front for my tinkle pants boys. =D
Our finished product! As you can see, there were some major issues in some places with that edging. It's a good thing I didn't make a video or it would have needed some "bleeps." After using the diaper, I've decided that fabric is going to be for a wet bag. It's just awful. But that's one more for the stash and I do love the colors.
And here's the finished product on a little dude trying to rock out!
Comments:
That's two cute and so is your little rock star ;-) !!! Now, if only I had a sewing machine...
What an awesome tutorial, Chelsey!!! Great job and super cute diaper! Those fit Lu great!!! =)
woooo-hooooo! Now I'm going to attempt this... well once I get the courage. ;0)
I'm planning on getting a sewing machine for this very purpose. I have no experience with a sewing machine. I hope I can get the hang of it without wasting too much material. Thank you for taking the time to post!
thanks!! I've always had so many questions.. now I know exactly what to do! Awesome post! Please dont ever delete it so I can keep my shortcut to it forever! LOL!
cool. i just started learning to use my sewing machine. nice job!
Wow, I think you did a great job. It seems like a lot of work but if you're talented and you enjoy it, then I guess it's a breeze :).
If I just buy the fabirc and such can I just send the stuff to you? lol be like here you make it lol
This is so cute, & you are very creative.
Thanks for the "how to" pics!
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Good job!
- MommyOfNK
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