Hybrid one size fitted diaper with tutorial

Hybrid fitted diapers are very popular these days and fairly easy to make yourself. It is basically a fitted diaper with a layer of water resistant polyester fleece. An explanation of a hybrid diaper is in the nighttime one size hybrid diaper post. This diaper is suitable for daytime use and does not require an additional cover as long as it is not used for long periods of time. So that means the really cute prints on the diapers can be out in open view for all to admire.

The pattern I used is the Rocket Bottoms One Size Diaper. The pattern includes fold over rise snaps to make it one size. I added a front snap rise adjustment instead. I like both methods, but I use less snaps for the front placing rise adjustment. I used my own contour soaker pattern, but any design is great. Here is how to make the diaper.

 1. For the diaper layers use woven cotton print for the outer layer, polyester fleece for the hidden layer and hemp/organic cotton fleece for the inside layer. Mark the placement of the snaps on the outer layer and add the front sockets prior to assembly to make them hidden. Mark the placement of the elastic to the outer layer. This is optional but you can add an additional layer of polyester fleece in the wet zone and sew it to the inside hemp fleece layer. Mark and add the snap in soaker sockets to the hemp fleece layer.

2. Cut the layers for the snap in soaker. Use 6 layers of hemp fleece and one layer of cotton velour for the top. Add the stud snaps for the snap in soaker to the bottom two layers. Cut two 6.5 inch pieces and one 5 inch piece of 3/8 inch braided elastic for the legs and back.

3. Sew the outer woven fabric with the polyester fleece and the hemp fleece inner fabric together with wrong side facing outwards. Leave a small gap at the top of the diaper to turn. Sew on the ends only of the elastic to the markings on the legs and back.

4. Turn the diaper right side out. Stitch around the entire diaper closing the open edge and making sure to not catch the leg and back elastic. For the legs and back, stitch a half inch casing making sure to not catch the elastic in the sewing. Add the wing snaps to the outside of the diaper.

5.  To make the petal soaker, first serge the three bottom layers together with the snaps on the bottom. Serge the top three layers together with the cotton velour on top. Sew the two petal pieces together at the top corners. Diaper is all done!

Here is the inside of the diaper with the snap in soaker.

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 all in two diapers

I continue to make diapers for little sweets. I bought the NykiBaby one size diaper pattern a few years ago and made AI2 diapers for J. I use these diapers for R now which is very nice. I made a few more for R using the same pattern. The outer is sandwich pul that I bought through Swaddlebees. The hidden inner layer is hemp and organic cotton fleece. The liner is bamboo and organic cotton velour. The insert is made snap-in and petal style. The top petal is three layers of hemp fleece topped with bamboo velour. The bottom petal is four layers of hemp fleece. So the total absorbancy is 10 layers which works great for day time use. I also made a super duper night time diaper using the hemp fleece but that will be my next post.

I find the more I use cloth diapers the closer I get to diaper nirvana or finding that sweet spot where I love the diapers. It takes a lot of trial and error to make diapers and to find the right combination but I feel I am getting close. I really like the AI2 diapers for when I am out and about. They are easy to take off and store in a wet bag. They are also fairly simple to put on a wiggly baby. I say fairly simple because as you know nothing is really easy to put on a wiggly baby. R is definitely on the go these days. She is not walking yet, but she crawls really well and can stand on her own for small periods of time. It is exciting to see her learn all these new skills.

Back to the NykiBaby pattern. It is supposed to fit up to 40 pounds but it is already getting a little snug on R on the largest setting and she is around 21 pounds. She is average so I don't think the size goes up that high. From my experience with using it on J and now on R, I would guess closer to 30 pounds depending upon body type. I also measured the pattern next to the Rocket Bottom one I used for the bunny diaper and it is medium size as compared to that pattern. Since it is getting snug and I really like the pattern, I decided to increase the size. I added an inch to the overall width and length. I also added an additional inch to the wing and increased the size for the smallest setting. The larger AI2 has a fun space pul outer, a hidden hemp fleece layer and bamboo velour liner. The insert is snap-in and has eight of layers as the smaller size. I will give the smaller AI2 size diapers to a friend in the next few months so it is good to start sewing now. The larger size should fit R until potty training.

A note on the hemp and organic cotton fleece. It is dyed a lovely green color. I bought it from Pickering Hemp since it was on closeout after the holidays. It is usually $8.75 a yard and I purchased it for $7.50 a yard which is great price for hemp fleece. Shipping was an additional $1.25 per yard but still a good deal. I haven't used hemp fleece in a while so it is really nice to have some again. I love the softness and drape. I made R a pair of awesome pants from the material and will post about it soon. For a little hint I made the pants from the new Monster Bunz pattern. Really cute if you are looking for a baby and toddler pants pattern.

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.

Valentine newborn fitted diapers

Here are few more velour fitted newborn diapers to add to my stash. I used the same free newborn diaper pattern from Darling Diapers. I added rise snaps for size flexibility and also made snap-in inserts.The diapers are made with red recycled cotton velour on the outside and hot pink bamboo velour on the inside. The inserts are made with one layer of bamboo fleece, three layers of hemp and organic cotton jersey and one layer of hot pink bamboo velour. The fitted diaper requires a waterproof cover and I made four newborn pul covers a while back. I now have 18 fitted velour and 11 ai2 newborn diapers so should be all set for a few months.

I also made a cute swaddle blanket using the pattern from Lotta Jansdotter. It turned out really cute, but I realized I put the velcro on the opposite side but it will work the same so no problem. I used Amy Butler fabric for the outside and microfleece for the inside. I hope to make one more swaddle blanket before the little girl arrives but not sure if that is going to happen since I am due this Thursday. We will see when she makes her grand arrival.

Newborn pul diaper covers

I am still adding to the newborn diaper collection. I made newborn size diaper covers using sandwich pul that I purchased a while back from Swaddlebees. I used the newborn pattern from Simple Diaper-Sewing Tutorials. I purchased the 1 inch bright pink foe and touch tape from Diaper Sewing Supplies. The covers were pretty easy to make and the pattern has rise snaps so should fit her well for the first few months. I love the colors and hope they work well. I should find out in a few weeks and I am getting excited to meet our little girl!

Recycled pink velour fitted newborn diapers

I'm making progress on the diaper stash for our little girl. I just finished making newborn fitted diapers. The pattern is the same as for the one size ai2 diaper. Instead of pul fabric I used recycled cotton velour from a pair of thrift store pants for outside fabric. It is lined with bamboo/organic cotton velour. The snap in soaker pad is lined also with the bamboo/organic cotton velour. It has two layers of hemp fleece that I recycled from older diapers from J. It also has two layer of bamboo/hemp jersey. These diapers require a waterproof cover which I plan to make in a few weeks. I decided to make a combination of ai2 diapers along with fitted diapers that require a cover. I like both styles and find it is nice to have a combination. I have nine ai2 diapers cutout using the pul from older covers from J. I plan to finish those up soon and move on to the one size small diapers. I bought bright red and purple velour pants at the thrift store for the diaper outer fabric so lots of fun colors.

Newborn snap one size ai2 diaper with tutorial

Update: See my latest post on making a one size AI2 diaper.

I started making newborn diapers for our little girl on the way. I have pul covers that I used for J that are a bit worn, but work great for making ai2 newborn diapers. I really like ai2 diapers since are quick drying and very easy to use. I lined the diaper with bamboo/organic cotton velour and made the snap in soaker with bamboo/hemp jersey. The pattern I used is the Darling Diapers Free Newborn Fitted Pattern. I added a snap rise adjustment to allow additional sizing flexibility. Below is a tutorial on how I made the diaper.

 1. Print out the diaper pattern. I added a few adjustments to the newborn diaper pattern as shown in the picture including a double row of snaps to shorten the rise and make the diaper one size. I moved in the wing snaps to allow for the seam allowance. I also marked the snap placement for the snap in soaker. Cut one out of pul fabric and mark the snap placement. Mark the location for the elastic. Cut one out of bamboo/organic cotton velour for the lining and mark snap placement for the snap in soaker. The small circles of fabric are for snap reinforcement. The snap in soaker is a modified version of the one included with the pattern. Cut one out bamboo/organic cotton velour and 4-6 layers of bamboo/hemp jersey. Mark the snap placement on the back of the last layer of bamboo/hemp jersey for the soaker.

2. Attach the snaps to the pul outer fabric using the scrap pul circles for reinforcement. Attach the snaps to the liner fabric and also to 3 or 4 layers of the bamboo/hemp jersey fabric for the soaker. Cut two 6 inch pieces of 1/4 inch elastic for the legs and one 5 inch piece of elastic for the back.

3. Sew the pul outer fabric and the bamboo velour inner fabric together with wrong side facing outwards. Leave a small gap at the top of the diaper to turn. Sew on the ends only of the elastic to the markings on the legs and back.

4. Turn the diaper right side out. Stitch around the entire diaper closing the open edge and making sure to not catch the leg and back elastic. Stitch a half inch casing for the leg and back elastic making sure to not catch the elastic in the sewing. This will form a cute ruffle edge for the leg and back elastic.

5. Add the wing snaps and umbilical cord snap to the outside of the diaper. Sandwich all the layers together for the soaker and use a decorative stitch to sew it together. I used a 3 step zig zag. Diaper is all done!

Here is the inside of the diaper with the snap in soaker.

Here is the diaper on the regular setting without the umbilical cord snap.

Here is the diaper on the smallest setting with the umbilical cord snap.

Very tiny and pretty cute!

Pocket fitted t-shirt diaper

Pretty sad I know, but I haven't posted anything new since the holidays. I do have a pretty good excuse. We are trying to sell our 860 square foot house and it needs some tlc. Mainly cosmetic including a lot of painting which in general I really like to do. However at this point I am really glad it is almost done. I still need to paint the laundry room and touch up a few spots. After that is my least favorite task which is cleaning. The house is a big old mess and needs some serious cleaning. In between all the house fixing up I have managed to sew a few fun items including trying out a few new diaper patterns. He wears training pants for the most part but still wears diapers at night time so I still have an excuse to make more fun diapers.

This diaper was made with a t-shirt of course and lined with two layers of hemp jersey dyed with Procion dyes in avocado. I really like pocket diapers since they dry so quickly. However, I make so many different types of diapers that it gets a bit confusing as to what insert goes with what diaper. So I am experimenting with making pocket diapers that have an attached insert that can be stuffed in a pocket. The pattern I used for this diaper is the free BaaBaaBaby diaper cover pattern. I made the large size. I did tinker with the pattern a tiny bit and added to the front wings to make it a bit larger in the waist. It fits really awesome and since I put elastic throughout the entire top he can actually pull this diaper off like training pants. It does not come with an insert pattern since it is a cover, so I borrowed the insert from the Trimsies diaper pattern which is another really great side snapping pattern. I made a cute pocket Trimsie with a lay in soaker that I will have to write about soon. I plan to wash the diaper with the next load and see how quickly it dries. I am not sure if you can see it, but there is a tiny little hole in the front of the diaper. I didn't notice the hole on the shirt when I cut it out and of course it is right up front. I will have to think of way to cover it up. I might try an applique or more than likely I will forget about it which is the likely scenario these days.






So I did fix the tiny hole with a heart applique. It turned out pretty cute.

Lavender laundry detergent

I have seen a few posts on how to make your own laundry detergent. Since I love a good home chemistry experiment, I decided to make a batch. I should clarify and say that I am really mixing my own laundry detergent since I am not making the soap. Either way, it is pretty fun to do and very cost effective. I made a concentrated laundry powder using liquid lavender castile soap, vinegar, borax, washing soda and baking soda. I based my mix on the powdered laundry detergent recipe I found at The Diaper Jungle. The only difference with my mix is I add an extra cup of borax. The mixture initially was a thick paste and after about an hour or so it turned into a nice powder. It takes quite a bit of stirring to remove all the clumps and the mixture does heat up from the combination of the vinegar and baking soda so be a little careful. I do love the way the detergent smells and that is based on the type of soap you use so pick something you really like. I love lavender and the lavender castile soap is really fragrant and nice.

I am currently using the homemade detergent to wash the diapers and it is working well so far. I only use a third of cup per full load and not a half as shown in the recipe. I have seen notes about the homemade detergents causing build up, but that hasn't been a problem so far. It should be noted that most of my diapers are made of hemp and other natural materials. I have a few bumgenius aio's, but I don't use them all time so only time will tell if the detergent is a problem with the all synthetic diapers.

Aqua hemp fleece diapers

A good friend of mine had a beautiful little boy a little while ago. I made two diapers for her out of the aqua dyed hemp fleece. I lined the diapers with recycled Polartec stretch microfleece. I made the soaker out of three layers of hemp fleece and sewed it to the liner so no stuffing required. I did keep a pocket on the top so she can add more absorbency. I also made a burp cloth and matching bib set. I really love the aqua color and the fabric is so soft. I used my snap pliers and again and have to say I really love the snap diapers. I am in the process of making a few new ones for the little guy also. I love new diapers and can't help but make a few more for my little guy.

Teeny recycled t-shirt diaper

I mentioned previously that I like to tinker with patterns. Here is another versions of the diaper pattern. This time I decided to add a gusset similar to the Teeny pants to the back of the diaper. The gusset actually serves two purposes in that it gives extra room to the rise in the back and also breaks up the pattern so it fits easier on a t-shirt. With the previous diaper patterns I cut off the wings to economize on fabric and also to fit the pattern on a wider variety of t-shirts. This works well in general, but does slightly restrict the wing stretch. I don't think it makes a big difference, but it is an added bonus to have the full stretch in the new pattern. The last and most important benefit for the new pattern is that it looks really great with the two colors. It is so fun to have a two tone diaper with a fancy curved gusset in the back. I suppose I should have mentioned that first since it the real reason why I came up with yet another diaper pattern. I also changed the inside lining of the diaper. I use the recycled power stretch micro fleece on the lower portion only and line the top part at the waist band with hemp fleece. It is not a huge difference, but I like that he has a little natural and organic fabric around his waist along with the stay dry lining. I also added a layer of hemp fleece to the entire diaper and it is still trim.