Cloth Nappy Making #3

I got to SL today. 9 meters of Cotton rich (sherpa) & another metre of microfleece.
I had the 9 meters on layby as I got it for $3 a metre so I grabbed a heap then. Im gonna make some NB nappies with it.

What a bargain Fiona...hmm me thinks me might have to go to SP>...no no have to much to do here today.
Karina - Id love to see your art work ;) pop a pic up in the gallery

It was a little while back that I got it so cheap which is why I layby'd it. I was even talking to the girl & she said she was told to get rid of it so she marked it right down & away it went (right into my shopping trolley LOL). I got little additions at $5 /m too.

Oooh bargain with the fleece!

I just made another nappy. It came out ok, not fabulous. Its currently being tested!
Its fleece and very soft. Still having issues with the leg elastic though . I think I am just not good with elastic! If its no good, I think I might unpick the elastic and do it a different way. How do you ladies do the elastic bit around the legs?

I put a picture in the gallery.

When I do the elastic I tack down one end by doing a zig zag back & forth. Then I switch my stitch to a triple zigzag & pull the elastic nice & tight as I sew it down. Then go back to a normal zig & tack down the end.
I turn & top stich my nappies so once I do that I then go around & do my top stitch & when I get to the leg elastic I move the nappy so my stich (which I put back to the widest tripple zigzag) and go along the side, but as you do this make sure your not catching any of the elastic or seam edge (thats inside the nappy) other wise it will stuff you up & you'll need to unpick it.
I will do a photo of each stage of how I do mine later tonight. Been menaing to do that for ages.

Hi everyone.
I have been researching about making my own MCNs and looking in this thread/forum. but have a few q's. I was going to make fitted ones. (with the booster inside)

I have about 3 doz terry flats. could i make these into MCNs.? useing them as the inner layer. MIL brought them so I feel bad not using them.

I also have about 3 meters of printed flannelette, could i use that on the outside or is it not absorbent enough.

I also have a couple of meters of polar fleece which i have cut some up and used as liners with the cloth squares.
Can you use old towels as the boosters inside?
How many layers for the boosters is best?
Will velcro be as effective as the snaps, as this is a trial at the moment to see how I go.

I have got a pattern online from ottobre designs, which seems to be okay. I also brought a couple of fitted terry nappies from K mart which seem to work well and fit ok, so i could use them as a pattern also.

and the last question, when sewing the elastic, is it better to sew it to the inner layer or both layers?

Sorry if these sound like silly questions to you 'experts' but i am a newbie and keen to give it a go.

Also FJ, I saw on your blog u are a ABA counsellor. do you go to the meetups? (is that you on the list of counsellors)i have not long joined and am planning on going to the next one.

TIA everyone.

Thanks FionaJill! I do the triple zig zag thing over the elastic too... not sure where I am going wrong. Maybe I'm not pulling the elastic tight enough. Do you pull the elastic as tight as it goes then zig zag over it? I might try the tripple zig zag top stitch. I hadnt thought of doing something like that. ooh looking forward to seeing your photos of each stage. Dont just do it for me though, lol.

Hi Blueflower. This nappy making is addictive! I have been using Velcro (but I have only made three nappies so far). I much prefer snaps to Velcro, to be honest. The velcro is nice for a wiggly baby, but I think the snaps hold on better and look nicer.

Hi BlueFlower.
Yep if thats a Hawkesbury/Nepan ABA bulletin then thats me on the list of COunsellors.
Not sure if I will make it to the next meeting, Im in the process of moving house atm.

Yes you could use your terry flats to make your MCN. I would make your booster bit out of at least 7 layers of the terry toweling.
Yes you could use your printed flannel as your outter layer ( see the dimond pattern nappies on my blog? thats flannel.
You could use polar fleece as your inners.

Velcro will work fine. OR you could do it so you use some of your terry as your outter layer & then use a snappi to fasten your nappy. If you didn't want anything flashy, thats would I would be doing. Or if you get creative you could cut out squares to put where a snappi would go. Would take a few goes to get your placement just right but be worth messing around with I think.
You could use old towels
I will do this photo thing this evening & let you know when its on my blog. That will show you how I do the elastic.
Yep, I pull the elastic as tight as it goes. Make sure you hold the other end as you sew it though so you can guide it through the machine.

I am by no means an expert, its just how I do mine. But I think it works well for beginers.

ok, go look on my blog

Thanks for your help FJ and Karina.
I am really eager to get started!
I am sure that I will have a few questions along the way!!!

I have just looked at your blog now FJ and it is great!!! the instructions are very good and so are the piccies! it is very easy to understand. I think that has helped with my questions! Thankyou so much!
Now I will decide what to makew it with- will duck up to spotty tomorrow and get some elastic and prob velcro- although I have eaons of snappies that i should use!!

I would use the snappies if you have them.
What I would do if you want to use something pretty on the outter is.. hangon I will do a pic & post in on my blog, be easier to explain.

eta - ok have alook at what I mean.

Fiona!! Thanks so much for posting your nappy instructions. They are great. I made mine pretty much the same way, except that my elastic bit around the legs just turns out crappy for some reason. The elastic at the back comes out well though. It looks like you have sewn the elastic onto all the layers.. is that right? Do you buy a special type of elastic or just the plain old braided stuff? I sewed my elastic (stretched) on using the triple zig zag stitch, but for some reason the elastic doesnt unstretch.. do you get that problem at all?

I think I just need to perfect my elastic sewing skills.. or not use such a thick fleece. I used microfleece - its thin, but its very dense.

Do you use PUL or fleece as your waterproof layer?
Is polar fleece really truly waterproof???
I still think of polar fleece as being soft and cuddly and absorbant, rather than waterproof!

Yeah Ijust use the braided stuff from Spotlight.
hmmmm not sure why your elastic is doing that. Maybe try using a different stitch, im not sure what its called but I have one on my machine that rather then zigzagging it does 1 straight then jumps across then does one straigh then jumps back to the other side. this isi also a good elastic stitch. You tack down the elastic as normal & then stretch it as you sew but you don't actually sew the elastic just on either side of it so its in a tunnel KWIM? then keeping it stretched out, tack down at the end. That might work better for you.
I wouldn't think that the Spotlight polar fleece would be too thick. Mayeb you need a wider/better quality elastic?

I don't make any with a waterproof layer. I like a fitted nappy with some cute longies/shorties as my covers. But I do have some Malden Mills fleece here.

Polar fleece, isn't 100% waterproof, because its polyester its not absorbent. Fleece is what they call hydrophobic so it repels the water but if you squish it the water will go through it. which is why its best to use two layers of teh spotlight fleece. Its prone to compression leaks. Malden Mills fleece is a much tighter woven fleece, so you only need 1 layer with that but I still add a 2nd layer to the wet zone.

Thanks again FJ.
that is what i had in mind. i saw it on an american website so thought i would adapt it here.
what i was thinking was:
inner - fleece
middle - terry towelling
outer - flannel with terry bits on it
booster- flannell and terry.
What do you think?

If this works, i might try and get some pul and make all in ones. Is there something else we can use instead that is waterproof at SL as the outerlayer?

Sounds fine & dandy to me. The only thing at SL would be 2 layes of Polar fleece but your going to be making it pretty bulky.
I would do it the way you have & use a cover or buy some PUL online.

I attempted to put my bit in here yesterday but Caleb decided that it was time for some attention :p and I ofrgot to come back to it. I think it's all covered now so I don't need to add anything!

Except perhaps this bit FJ:

:

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I would make your booster bit out of at least 7 layers of the terry toweling

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I think that would be very bulky and take forever to dry! Also I don't think it would even fit under the pressor foot of my sewing maching.

So how many would you do? I don't usually use terry...

I was thinking that. Is there anything else i could use? I am popping into spotties today, so that it could not be so bulky?

OMG I just went to SL and spent $100! There polar fleece was all on sale.
Blueflower - go to snaps australia - they sell bamboo fleece by the cut an dyou only probably need 2 layers for a booster say 10cm wide by 35cm long. I think its about $20 a cut but you'll get a fair bit out of it. YOu can always cover the booster in flannel to leave it with the fluffy side out for that bum softness.

You can use your terry squares to get started. Sarcifice a couple as it will be cheaper than buying something else to cut up, unless you find a towel super cheap from the Reject shop or something. The towelling from SL works out quite pricey from what I remember. I made so many mistakes to start with but it's the best way to work it out. My niece has one for her doll, DH uses one for a polishing rag for the car...

I don't use terry now but when I first started I made one with 4 layers and it was alright but took longer to dry than a BBB booster.

Ahh, See I made a heap of booster with nappy flannel from SL when I was first doing it & I made them all about 8 layers. Then I was doing them 4 layers but long enough to double over as lay in boosters.
I would have thought You would need alot of terry as well.
The double sided terry at SL is about $17 a meter.
Bamboo from Snaps australia is on sale at the moment. is $20 a meter but a min of 2 meters. So I think its $36 for 2 meters at the moment.

ah see pg brain is kicking in thatnks for looking that up for me Fiona must ask what does Llijanoif (your title) mean matie..

It says Fionajill Backwards LOL

eta- what do you mean look it up, don't all know the current prices off the top of your heads??? Or am I just obsessed?

yuo have a compulsive nappy matieral buying disorder PMSL

I do actually. You all warned me that MCN are addictive & I said Na, Im not that fussed about "fancy pretty" things, after all the baby just poos in it. So while I am still happy to say I am not "addicted" to buying MCN. I can't say the same about materials.
But really, if it wasn't nappies it would be something else. I enjoy sitting at the sewing machine. After so many years of not having a hobby I finally do.

I so hear you fiona. My o/l and sewing machine are on the table now calling me but my headache has other plans....im itching to get going...its like a dame high fo rme

rofl at you two :lol:

I've been going through my fabric...sheesh talk about obsessed ;)

yes my collection is getting bigger & bigger. Get this I keep every little offcut etc. Never know, I might use that for something LOL. What the hell am I gonig to use a 50c size bit of bamboo fleece for ???

I went through all my material on the weekend and donated a big bag full of off cuts and a small box to the kinder....I was totally shattered but I had to do it. Ive got 3 x 100L tubs full of fleece alone (and I just bought more that I have to hide form Jed)

Maz that is an excellent idea donating the scraps to kinder. I have a bag full of MM and minky off cuts that I've kept as I keep thinking I'll do some applique..think I'll have to do that now :D

Yay, I just made another nappy. This one turned out much bettter around the legs so I think it might actually fit. She only has little legs, not chubbies. I put a picture of it in my photos (in my signature). I'll put it on her later when she wakes up , so she can test it out. It seems about the same size as the small Peapods she wears so I hope it fits. I chopped up a pair of DH's old pyjamas that are too small for him and way too big for me and used it for the outer layer, and put a layer of pul, then some microfleece. The fleece is soo nice and soft.

I think I might have to get some of that Bamboo from Snaps Australia.. I could make lots of boosters with that!

Whats Minky? Is that the furry type stuff?

That looks great! Good for you.

eta - yeah minky is the furry type materials, there are lots of differnt types. SL has stuff thats not minky but you can still use. I have some that is a purple & black zebra print. Its nice. Would work well over some PUL

So is minky like the berry plush nappies?

not sure if this helps anyone out, spottys at mt druitt has polar fleece on sale for 4 dols a meter. its 100% polyester

Ooh thanks Blueflower.
I got ripped off at Spottys at Birkenhead! Pretty sure I paid more than $4 the other day.

About polarfleece/microfleeece: Is there a right and wrong side to it? Does it matter what side of it is touching babys bum? I've got the type that is fluffy on both sides, but the sides are slighty different.

I shop at the Mt druitt SL too! I got all my cotton rich fleece there a few weeks back for $3 a metre & I think I got the last of teh little additions microfleece the other day for $5/m

I *think* the right side of fleece is the side that curls towards you when you stretch it out near the edge. I am sure I read that somewhere. BUT it could have been the wrong side that curls towards you LOL.

and with POlar fleece, it susually the side that appears 'brighter' and 'fluffier' I so work with it to much.
I am so pi$$ED! I just got an email for this christmas fleece I ordered 4 weeks ago saying it has only been shpped out NOW from the us!!! I needed it for next month. I am so not going to buy from them again! I bet I get my Dot minkee way before it now. Hmmm images of maz rolling around in dot minkee.
I made my own prefolds last night too. One side is bamboo fleece and the other is bamboo terry..they are so soft and lush. im hoping 12 will be enough..if not then it looks like im of to snaps australia to Karina. The last lost of bamboo fleece I got came in tube form. I was cutting it last night and it was so much easier to use. Ive been up sewing until midnight cause i just cant sleep so I do prodcutive things rather then sit. I actually vaccied the house, cleaned the bathroom, toilet ect...just needed to mop the floors...one day rofl
Sammi - I was jsut plain lazy and needed the space to get rid of the scraps...plus it looked like I done a heap when Jed came home so Im in the good books pmsl.

Maz, i do that, I can't get to sleep before 11pm anyway so most nights I sit & make a nappy. Last night I cleaned the windows, scrubbed the oven & kitchen cupboards LOL, final inspection is on monday so sewing has been put aside atm. Not put away LOL I still have my sewing machine out on the kitchen table (where it has been since May mind you LOL). I don't want to pack it & move it away untill the weekend when we will actually be living in the new place.

YOu'll have to let me know your new address so I can send that nappy to you to Fiona

Yeah, I keep meaning to ask you for you details so I can pay you. Can you PM me.