Nighttime one size hybrid fitted diaper

I decided to make a special nighttime diaper for R. My inspiration is the tucked in all night diapers from Bagshot Row Cloth. I saw a link to the diapers on one of the cloth diaper facebook pages I follow and I was really intrigued by the idea of using poly fleece on the outside. I did a little research and if you get the right type of poly fleece then you can make an awesome hybrid diaper. How do you know if you have the right type of fleece? That is a little tricky since there are so many types of poly fleece available. The Windpro fleece from Malden Mills is the gold standard for making hybrid diapers but other types of fleece like blizzard or anti-pill will work well also. If you are not sure then you can add water to the top layer of the poly fleece and press on it. If the water goes through to the other side easily then it won't work well on the outside.

What is a hybrid diaper exactly? It is a fitted diaper that has an extra layer of water resistant poly fleece. For daytime use the poly fleece is hidden and placed next to the outside layer. This provides a water resistant layer that repels moisture back into the soaker layers of the diaper and therefore provides some wetness protection without having a separate cover. No separate cover? That's right. It means you can use all of the cute prints for the outside of the diaper and still be able to see them. Brilliant! The daytime hybrid diapers are not as water resistant as compared to a regular fitted with a cover or so I have seen. I haven't tried one yet but I plan to make one soon. 

Back to making a nighttime hybrid diaper. If you place the poly fleece on the outside of the diaper and add a few extra layers to the wet zone along with a lot of hemp fleece then you can make a super duper nighttime diaper. I made the diaper shown using the Rocket Bottom one size diaper pattern and it has a fold down rise. The outside is 200 weight anti-pill fleece from a recycled Land's End fleece sweater. I tested the poly fleece prior to making the diaper and it seemed very water resistant. I added two additional layers of poly fleece in the wet zone. The diaper has a hidden layer of hemp fleece and a bamboo velour liner. The insert is snap in and petal style. The top petal layer is bamboo velour and three layers o f hemp fleece. The bottom petal is four layers of hemp fleece. I made an additional lay in insert with four layers of hemp fleece to place under the snap in insert. So that makes 14 layers of absorbent fabric.

The diaper is fairly fluffy as you imagine but it works like a charm. When J was younger than 8 months or so I could get away with using a regular daytime diaper for nighttime use. Once he got a little older I found the regular diapers were not adequate for nighttime use. I have been adding extra hemp fleece inserts to R's regular diapers since she is 11 months and that works fine. I don't have wet sheets at the end of the night but I do get a little moisture to the outside. The diaper is totally saturated also so I wanted to make a separate diaper for nighttime use with a high absorbancy. I am really happy with the nighttime diaper so far. R is really comfortable in the new diaper too and I don't have to add a separate cover. I took it off her this morning and it wasn't totally soaked. I am impressed since she is a heavy nighttime wetter. The addition of the poly fleece helps the diaper work better by distributing the moisture throughout the insert layers. So I plan to make a few more and look for the Windpro fleece. While I am it I will make a few daytime hybrid diapers so I can enjoy all the fun fabrics on the outside.

One size fitted bunny diaper

I am starting to make new diapers for R. She still fits in the medium size diapers I made for her a few months back but the rise is short. Since it can be dangerous for her hiney to hang out I figure it is best err on the side of caution and make her new ones. I bought the Rocket Bottoms one size fitted diaper pattern when it was on sale over the holidays and it is great. The instructions are clear and the pattern is easy to print. I love the fold down rise to make the diaper one size.  It is also a great price if you are looking for a diaper pattern.  I made the diaper pictured with hot pink bamboo velour as the liner, organic cotton fleece for the inside and a really cute pink bunny cotton woven print for the outside. The insert is snap in and petal style with a top layer of hot pink bamboo velour. It has four layers of organic cotton fleece on the inside and four layers of hemp jersey on the outside.

This particular style of diaper requires a cover and you may ask why make a cute diaper when it is going to be covered up anyway. I have often asked myself that very question and I actually made the first newborn diapers for J out of plain hemp jersey. I find though that I am drawn to all the really cute diapers that others make and I see online. I see so many great examples of diapers on sewing facebook pages so I blame the internet. I actually make her diapers really cute because it makes me happy to see them so that is probably reason enough. I am toying with idea of making hybrids that would not require a cover for when she is toddling around at home. If you are new to hybrids they are very popular in the diaper community. It is a fitted diaper with a layer of polyester fleece next to the outer fabric. It helps to repel the moisture back into the soaker layers. I have been sticking with natural fibers for the most part but I may add a few hybrids to the mix for fun. I do love her new pink bunny diaper though and looking at the print definitely makes me happy.

Baby girl on the way!

So the exciting news in our family is that baby number two is on the way and doing well. I am due January 31, 2013. I am currently 19 weeks and we just found out last week that we are having a little girl. I finally started taking belly shots like I did for him. It is really fun to see the belly blossom. It is also super fun this time since he likes to be in the photos and we are using the his chalk board to record the weeks. I am sewing a lot these days and planning to make more cloth diapers. I have a few newborn diapers but they have been through two other babies in addition to him so probably time for new ones. I am also making really cute maternity tops and skirts for myself. The orange top is my latest creations. I made both the top and skirt out of thrift store t-shirts and came up with the patterns from other clothing. I am having fun adding the flowers and trying new designs. I made this top a bit snug though but it will work great next year. I have made a lot of other fun skirts and tops that I will post soon.