Cloth Nappy Making #5

[maz]

oh me thinks blue Mel hehehehehe

[Sair]

Machine fixed My not so DP has an industrial sewer person at work and he fixed my tension knob for me. So bag sewing all arvo for me!!!

I went down to the sewing centre and fell in love with the Janome QC 6260 with plans to layby it at the $699 price tomorrow. I am starting to have second thoughts though. I might be better off getting the Janome 5027 which is a good quality basic machine for $399 and $5 goes to Breast Cancer research and maybe spend about the same amount on an overlocker since I want to make clothes too and it is a bit stronger. Or I could get the whiz bang model since I might try quilting and save up for an overlocker later Decisions, decisions!!!

Gigi, thanks for the insight on the lining materials, it is all Spanish to me. I might try the suede cloth since I know Noah does not have a reaction to it (yet). I like the sounds of organic materials though..

Fiona, How did Isla go with the move? Is she a heavy sleeper? Can you still sew while she sleeps? Noah sleeps through everything thankfully.

Mel, Any idea on what the X is? I have it in my head but now I am scared if it looks like something someone else has done and I get sued even if I have never seen the nappy or pattern :s Have fun picking colours!

[*Efjay*]

Isla is doing ok so far in her room. No I think I would wake her if I sewed in the room with her. But I can take the machine out & sit at the dinner table if I really want to do sometihg at night.

[Gigi]

don't worry Maz, i'm not making nappies to sell, in fact, atm, i'm not even making anything even for us! apart from nappy liners which don't really count! (again, not to sell).

Is this a thread only for people who make nappies to sell? i shouldnt be here in that case!

i just thought i'd share that pattern with the group, so that newbies might see it, spotlight is accessible to most. it was a shock to me too, that spotlight sold it! after the spotlight staff being so clueless about nappy making fabric each time i've asked (i no longer bother!!).

this thread inspires me, and i WILL get my sewing machine one day - hopefully in time to make trainers for bilbs! (and lots of other things i would love to make for her). Most of the sewing i've done this last year, i've gotten so excited ("wow, i CAN make stuff"), i've made things for other people and kept very little of it for bilbs! I made all these pinnies last Xmas, and bilbs only got to have the ONLY one i made a non-rectifiable mistake on!! LOL. (we're talking "snip" - no return and don't bother collecting $200, straight to jail when you cut where you shouldn't have!!).

[Sair]

Off to layby my machine today, I decided on the QC 6260, I thought I would get the more upmarket one for when I want to learn to make quilts, I have heaps of scraps begging to be made into something after making a heap of these bags. I hate to throw away fabric that could be useful.

I do see the importance of a walking foot though, my machine was struggling to get through 8 layers of cotton while sewing the gussets of my bag, I never knew there were such cool little feet for sewing machines, my mum never had anything fancy for hers, in fact I think she does everything on a 40 year old Janome that used to be my grandmothers.

I'm going to list my bags on my new Etsy store today, I was going to put some money towards the 2 nappy sewing kit but I can see that is useless for now, thanks ladies. I will put the money on the Janome first so I have a machine that can handle the workload without conking out on me.

[maz]

Good idea about getting a decent machine Sarah..WTG...I'd love to make quilts...I have no brains for that stuff

Gigi - when yo made the velour liners, did you make them one sided or 2? IM thinking of making them 2 sided and just overlocking them together

ETA - ok have just back tracked and seen that you use 2 layers..DOH maz! also ive got a pattern for training pants that I'll copy for you and send you babe. I havent had the chanch to make them yet but hey there's always tonight lol.

Jgal - get onto Melbel about maxi-swirl...Im pretty sure she's got some hidden that she has been stalling to put up in her store

[*Efjay*]

I have a Pfaff hobby sew. Its great for MCN as the foot has extra lift in it. so you lift the foot as normal but then I can raise it even further to put more layers under it. That was its main selling point for me.

[Sair]

Pfaff seems to be a very high quality make. I was shown a Select 4.0 for $799 but to me it didn't offer much with only 40 stitches. I would assume they are heavier built and longer lasting though.

Just got back from putting $50 towards the 6260 so that is what 1/14th of the way?

Quilting, to me. Sew scraps together, get some fluffy stuff, and a plain sheet of fabric, sew together and top with funky stitching. I better not say that in the quilting forum, I am sure it is way more technical than that. I am lucky my mum is a very talented seamstress and quilter, maybe over Skype she can teach me a few things.

Now that bamboo fleece from the co-op, I am confused by it. It is in a tube shape and one side is fluffy, the other not. would I sew the 2 not fluffy sides together and have myself an insert? Or would I need more layers than that. I may as well put some use to it now rather than keep it in a box.

[*Efjay*]

Why you would need more the 40 stitches is beyond me LOL MCN need 3 basic stitches, Straight, zig zag & tripple zig zag. Plus it helps to have an overlocker LOL.

BF, I personally prefer to put fluffy sides together have the knitt on the outer. Pre wash it befor eyou sew it as it shrinks. But if you did a say 30 by 30 square (for example, bigger might be better) then you would have a trifold. 2 layers make your square folded into 3 gives you 6 layers.

[maz]

Dont do the fluffies on the outside Sarah - Ive done this and after a while the fluffiesness looks horrible plus the fluff ends up everywere.
Fiona is right...knit side out and wash it first. I usually wash it 3 times in hot water.

[Gigi]

How exciting you have your overlocker on layby Sunshine!!

i looked at some Pfaff hobbyones too, for the high lift of the foot (if that is the right words). i think it a walking foot was already in that mahcine - is that right? But it was an extra $25 for a foot i liked (so you could make really skinny seam, some sort of guide so you can sew really close to edge of fabric).

WIth that tube of bamboo Sunshine, i select one point and cut across, so you get a flat piece of bamboo. SOme people sew it fluffy side out, some sew smooth side out. i don't mind either. But i found it DOES matter when you sew with hemp. with hemp, i only sew the fabric FLUFFY side out, otherwise after much washing, you get balls of stuff TRAPPED inside the stitching and it makes the item a bit bumpy.

Sometimes, things said online, might be typed out with a kind voice and kind eyes, but that doesn't transpose always into the words read by another person. It's so hard online, to always convey what you mean, in the way you mean it. Especially with tired mummies who don't always have time to check their entries, like I would if i wasn't so tired all the time! So, i hope you are not "put off" sunshine, this is a really nice group, and it's so much easier to get point across IN REAL LIFE, when you can see the person's eyes, facial expressions etc. i have come a cropper with this MANY TIMES, when i have offended when offending was the LAST thing i would have intended. SOmetimes, all it takes is a comma missing, to totally change what a sentence means. something as tiny as that.

also, typing out all the niceities we say in real life, is time consuming and i know i can come across as a bit brusque, when i get to the point (yes, that does actually happen sometimes) without all the niceties that i would normally say before that bit.

Sometimes the voice of experience has learnt expensive, painful lessons, and they want to save others from having to "learn the hard way". I know FJ and MAZ and i can safely say they said what they said, in a helping way. They have large families and are super busy, hearts of gold and so helpful to lots of people and MCN advocacy in general.

nuff said, hope what i meant came across ok, :hugs:

Maz - yes, i do double layer of cotton velour, overlocked around and knotted.
bamboo velour keeps softer for much longer, but of course, costs more to use.

what is an ok price to buy bamboo velour at? is this another fabric that varies in percentage and those numbers, as to the quality? i get mixed up with the gsm and the percentage bit with fleece and terry, let alone with velour LOL!!!

i'm thinking of making the initial training pants using cotton velour and once i have got the size and how to make them sussed, maybe making some with bamboo velour inner. Or maybe just the wetzone, sewn over the cotton velour?

my current idea is to make the Monkey Mile High soakers in fleece, with absorbent material inside. like an AIO trainer pullup. I have made this pattern up as a night cover for a friend's child, so i can do it as a cover ok. This style involves no FOE or elastic. it may be a bulkier trainer, oh well, i will just make one or two for bilby to try and see how she responds to them. WDYT? will this be too much like a nappy for her to "get" that they are undies? i wanted to avoid FOE and make it easy for her to pull up and down.

[*Efjay*]

Oh, also my Pfaff wasn't top of the range, I think Paid about $360 for it.
I was looking at getting a singer but after explaining what I wanted it for she actually said the pfaff (which was cheaper then what I had my eye on) would be the better option. Hasn't missed a beat yet. Its a good learner/basic machine that has enough functions etc that I wont out grow it any time soon. It has ya fancy stitches too but I honestly rarely switch from my basic stitches.

GIgi, My pfaff didn't come with a walking foot, I got that extra. But it came with a heap of other feet. button hole, blind hem (which might be what your thinking for the thin close seams??) zipper, clear, quilting & a couple of others I don't even know their use LOL.
When making MCN I use my clear, walking & now my zipper foot. Zipper gives a great close top stitch.

[melbel]

Gigi with velour you want to get a nice thick one cos the thin stuff is a bugger to sew it moves and stretches everywhere......I have heard good things about the quality of the fairy fabrics bamboo velour in that it is not soo stetchy and holds it shape better when you are sewing. I have two diff veours that i got through coops and the difference is like night and day and it is all pretty much due to one being thinner and too stretchy and the other one being thicker.

Oh and Maz those maxilocks aren't hiding anymore...

see my post here : https://www.bellybelly.com.au/forums...me-get-em.html

i hope that link is allowed? I get soooo confused with links these days.....

[maz]

Gigi - I got my velour from greenbeans. im not sure i its bamboo so im gonna have to check it out again. Will defently make some liners some time soon...have a very unsettled Mateauz and all I keep thinking is...i wish I could stick him on my BB to help. Im not sure what training pattern it is..but if I make one, will send one your way hun

Fiona - I didnt realise Pfaff's were that cheap...hmmmm take mental note

Mel - gonna go and have a looksie at your maxiswirl colours and see if there are any that I dont have yet :ROFL; im so addicted to them..oh and hun thank you got the material today adn the other is fantastic.

[*Efjay*]

Maz, Im pretty sure what I got was the end of the current model for that price. That was also almost 2 yrs ago. I think the price did jump a couple of hundred for the new model (that was the same) then the next up etc.

[jgal]

Wow, it's been chatty in here! Love it!! All thgis nappy chat keeps me inspired.

Maz - thanks for the tip on the maxi swirl. I have Mel's store bookmarked as a favourite now - that minkee came faster than I could blink my eyes, and it's gorgeous!!

Sunshine great choice on the sewing machine. I nearly got that one myself as the lady at the sewing shop tried to sell it to me on the "Quilter's Choice" aspect. Instead I chose the more expensive one - 2nd from top before going to a combined embroidery/sewing machine in one. My friend has the QC and loves it. I only decided to go higher up as DH said to me to get the best and not worry about the money as he knows how much I sew. Plus I liked the idea of a wide neck (for shoving quilts through) and wide metal base (again for the quilts). I could have gone top of the range, but the only difference I could see was a built in walking foot, and I like to change feet all the time for different things. Hmmm.. yes, quilting is a little more complicated than that.. but I'll let you off



Gigi I got my bamboo fleece and velour from the bamboo fabric store. I can't remember where I got my last lot of bamboo fleece from (maybe a coop?) but I think I liked that stuff better. It was whiter, and not a brushed flleece (so all the loops were on the back rather than it being fluffy). The stuff from the bamboo store is thinner feeling and fluffy on the one side. With the unbrushed stuff I quite like it with the smooth side in, but this new stuff I will be sewing fluffy side in as I think it will retain it's fluff a bit better that way. I have sewn all my hemp inserts with the loop side in, but again I have always had hemp TERRY (unbrushed fleece) rather than fleece. All of Austy's inserts have been hanging around siunce he switched to medium pockets at about 2 months old, and he's only weeks off 3. They have all held together well and no lumpy bits. I prefer unbrushed fleece because I am sure you loose absorbency when they brush the loops out - I can imagine the fluff that would come off.

Fiona Clear feet are fantastic for top stitching aren't they!? My new machine's walking foot is clear and more open toed so very easy to see where I am sewing. I sewed all my nappies for AUsty on my old $299 basic Janome without a problem but must admit it's mnuch nicer and easier to get a professional finish with the new machine. If you scroll down on my blog you will see a pic of my mnachine with a quilt undre it, and slightly further a quilted cushion cover that I embroidered with Austin's name. ETA: Wow - not long to go now and you'll have a gorgeous newborn to cuddle!!!

Velour I got some nice stuff at Spotlight of all places (just cotton velour). I have never seen it there before and they only had mint and pale blue but I grabbed a couple of metres and am really happy with it. The bamboo velour from tghe bamboo fabric store has a bit more of a sheen to it, and VERY soft. I al,most feel it's a waste making nappies from it - I can imagine some beautiful soft baby clothes with it. But a friend told me she used bamboo velour once to line minkee nappies and she found it went a bit "crispy" after a few washes. I am wondering if it is the urine that does that though and it would be fine for clothes. Anyone know?

I should be finishing a mini quilt for a swap tonight but have stayed home from work with a cold and am quite happily sitting on the couch knitting a soaker for bubs. Once I get started with one of those I just want to knit it tillk the end!

Any more interest in the fabric swap???

[*Efjay*]

I had that same Velour I think. I got a candy pink, apple green (once) & a cornflower blue. I think it was about $10 a meter but a massive 160cm wide. I had heaps & heaps of it LOL

eta- I had a quick look over your craft blog the other day (snooping to see who you are LOL)But just had a better scroll & wow your very talented. Love your kitty cat too!, naughty boy inthe bassinet. Mine cats learnt very early about not doing that!
Your nappies look fantastic too!

[Gigi]

i've only bought the cotton velour that Spotlight sold MELBEL. i do find it tricky to sew with. it was especially tricky using it as a backing for bibs. i think it might be the same as what FJ got, cos those colours sound like what i got. but i got some other strong bright colours too, maybe from nappies covered, unsure now.

good to hear there are different grades of it, e.g at FF.

FJ - i just LOVE the clear foot! i think the machine i looked at DIDN"T have a clear foot and that put me off!. cos i asked, could i pay extra for a clear foot!! it's been a few months since i looked at machines, i'm getting mixed up, with which machine had what!