Well after wearing the longies for a whole day, my son got a little rash on his tummy. I assume it is from the wool rubbing on his bare skin, I don't think it is because he is allergic. My husband hates wool, so this is a good argument for him. I don't know what I am going to do now... He is slowly growing out of medium-sized prowrap covers, and I really don't feel like buying some more covers. I would rather sew them. I just don't know what materials I am going to use... PUL? Fleece? Nylon?
Ideally I wouldn't want this material to be touching his skin. So I would have to make a hidden layer of the water resistant fabric. But if you want to avoid wicking from the inner fabric to the outer-most fabric this is really a difficult task to accomplish from the sewing aspect.
I will figure something out. :)
Showing posts with label sewing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label sewing. Show all posts
May 6, 2009
April 15, 2009
A new idea for a wool cover!
I have this great idea for a wool cover, and if it works as well as I hope, I think I may be able to sell it really well. Therefore no major details here until I have things figured out, but I am excited about it!
Besides that I have been playing around with figuring out a pattern for knitting little baby shoes, but got discouraged when they didn't turn out they way I wanted them - after ripping them out about 1o times! :D I hope to eventually perfect on my pattern and be able to offer it online.
Today, I finally got enough courage to just through the 100% merino wool fabric into the washer at 50 degrees Celsius. I think it felted up well and I am satisfied with the thickness, so I will not be washing it again.
Besides that I have been playing around with figuring out a pattern for knitting little baby shoes, but got discouraged when they didn't turn out they way I wanted them - after ripping them out about 1o times! :D I hope to eventually perfect on my pattern and be able to offer it online.
Today, I finally got enough courage to just through the 100% merino wool fabric into the washer at 50 degrees Celsius. I think it felted up well and I am satisfied with the thickness, so I will not be washing it again.
April 4, 2009
100% merino wool interlock fabric
Felting:
I thought since I didn't find much information about this on the web, that I would do my own experimentation and post it here on the blog.
I received my 100% merino wool interlock in the mail a few days ago, but have been tossing and turning at night thinking about how to best felt it, without ruining the $20 /yard fabric. I have read that you are just supposed to wash it on hot a few times and it will take care of itself, but it just seemed to be the opposite of what I have learned all of these years about wool, that I couldn't get myself to through the whole 2 yards into the washer and just hope!
Just a few things beforehand: I have a German front-loading washer. It has temperature settings, and heats the water with a heating element. So the cold water goes in and is slowly heated up to the desired temperature. I wasn't sure what to call a warm or hot cycle, so I just picked 40° C (104° F) as a warm cycle and 60° C (140° F) as a hot cycle. My washer also only has a cold water rinse, so the wool is always going to be shocked after warming up.
So, I decided I would try small swatches first, to see what the results would be. I cut three pieces of the fabric, each 3 1/2" wide by 4 1/2" long. First, I threw a piece in with my shower curtain on a warm cycle (104° F). I used normal detergent and a cold water rinse. It didn't look like it had changed very much, so I just left it and didn't put it in the dryer. I think one of the reasons why it didn't get much smaller, is because the swatch got hung up on the glass of the front loader and didn't get as much agitation as it would if it had stayed in the drum of the machine. The result wasn't much thicker that the original. This is what it looked like compared to the original unwashed swatch on the left:
This is the results of the same swatch (on the left in the above picture) being washed again on a warm cycle (40° C). I can't see much difference, really... but again the thing to hung up and didn't agitate much at all.
Next , I threw one unwashed swatch in with my normal diaper wash at a temperature of 60° C (140° F). The result is much smaller and thicker than the swatch that I had at the warm temperature wash.
Then I threw it in the hot dryer for about 40 minutes or so. I don't think it changed much in size or thickness - maybe a bit fluffier and softer. This is what came out:
Now just to see how much further the "hot-cycle" swatch would shrink/felt, I put it into a second hot water wash cycle. Results (not much difference - maybe a tad bit smaller):
And finally same "hot-cycle" swatch, after 40 minutes in the hot dryer:
So in conclusion, though I have not attempted to felt all of the fabric yet, I think that one hot water wash would be fine for the 100% wool interlock fabric to make diaper covers. You could even venture a second hot wash, without over felting.
After felting 100% merino wool interlock, I would not attempt to wash the finished product (diaper cover) in the regular wash... I would still recommend hand wash with a homemade wool wash and lanolin.
April 2, 2009
Prefold to fitted!
While waiting for the 1 yard of merino wool to arrive, I have been turning my attention towards converting my prefolds to fitteds. I have now tried two variations on this theme.
After tons of research I found a few tutorials that took me in the right direction. I first tried with my premium prefolds (4x8x4 layers / 14.5" x 21" unwashed) but I have to alter my pattern a bit to make it work better. With my regular prefolds (4x6x4 layers / 14.5" x 21" unwashed) I have made a fitted diaper that fits my 13-month-old fairly well. (He is small for is age, so this would probably fit 8-12 month olds as well).
So, I give credit to Shanna for the original idea, and here is my tutorial - with a few alterations that are useful if you want to make a fitted diaper from a prefold.
==================================================
You want your prefold to be washed a few times (not brand new)... The dimensions of this prefold are 12.5" x 17" WASHED.
Here I decided to go ahead and slightly iron the diaper so that I don't have bunching issues when I get to sewing. Fold the prefold lengthwise and make sure that the inner seams line up as well as the edges.
Make yourself a pattern. Trace around all sides of the folded prefold (my pattern is about 17" long and 7.25" wide). Mark where the seam is with a dotted line. Then measure 1 inch from the seam toward the edges. This will be your fold line. Then make the tab lines (I made my back tab about 3" wide and the front tab 3.25" wide). There are two ways to do this. In the example below I decided I wanted the advantage of having more elasticity. So I made my line cut straight to the fold line and only just before the fold line made the curve. I like this better than doing a more gradual curve because I found that even though the gradual curve will cover the bum up better you may end up with bigger gaps where things could leak out... (By the way, the purple line on the pattern is a mistake of mine, please disregard).
Trace the lines you want to cut with a fabric pen.
Make the cut (BUT ONLY TO THE FOLD LINE, not any further - and do not cut down the fold line).
Open up the cut, you will find a bit of left over fabric from the layers in the middle. Trim this extra back to the seam line.
You just have to do this for the mid section, not for the tabs of the diaper.
Now find the seams, one of the seams will be a bit jutted out. It is folded over instead of sewn through. Kind of hard to see in this picture. This will be on the INSIDE of your diaper.
Take a seam ripper and break the threads. Try not to damage the diaper too much, and don't go all the way through, you are just making a casting for your back elastic. Do this just below the surge line of the prefold at the back (if you made a more gradual cutout for the back there will be a difference between back and front).
So the same at the other seam at the top back, but this one is not folded over, so you are going to have to cut a few layers of the diaper slightly.
Here is a nifty trick! Put a small saftey pin on the end of your elastic. Then slide the point of a knitting needle or a BBQ skewer into the clasp of the saftey pin. Then just slide the elastic accross to the other hold in the diaper. If you didn't make a deep enough cut you will have to go back and cut again.
Use a zigzag stitch to hold the elastic in place. Go over the area several times making sure that you also catch any raw edges you made in the diaper - to prevent it from developing holes later on.
Pull the elastic tight, so that it still has a tad bit of stretch, but also so that the fabric of the diapier gathers up. Attach the other end of the elastic to the diaper with a zigzag. Again making sure you sew up any cuts. Put the ends of the elastic tight and snip right at the seam, this way it will not show.
Now you are going to fold the flaps over to the OUTSIDE of the diaper (not the side you were just attaching the elastic to.
Make sure that you have about a 1/4" "roll over" from the edge of the leg opening. (The cut V you see in the picture below is not folded directly on the point of the V, it is folded in another 1/4".) This will be handy later when you are sewing up the raw edges - it will make for a much neater edge.
Pin the edges so they won't shift around.
Keeping that 1/4" edge rollover, pull the two edges of the flaps together and measure your seam allowance. Here I will have a 1/2" seam allowance, this can be different for different types / brands of prefolds.
Sew the flaps together with a straight stitch, using the measured seam allowance.
Lay out flat and cut any extras.
Put your hand through the tube, grab the end and pull through.
This is what you should end up with.
Change back to a zigzag stitch, and tack down the rounded edge of the soaker. Start sewing about 1/2" away from the edge (you need to put elastic in the edge, so you don't want to sew up that opening).
When you come to the other edge, turn and use a straight stitch to make a casting for the elastic down this leg. When you come to the end turn and switch again to zigzag. Sew around the soaker and then back down the other leg with a straight stitch again.
This diaper measures about 5" accross the soaker, from one seam to the other. This could vary for your baby...
This is what the diaper should look like now.
Using our nifty trick, push the elastic through one of the legs castings. Don't cut the elastic until it is completely tacked down.
Now you want to turn in the raw edges on the diaper tabs. If you open up the fold this is pretty easy. Just roll in about 3/8." Pins make it easier.
Pin both edges together and sew close to the edge with a straight stitch.
When you get close to the elastic, switch to a zigzag stitch, to make sure that you catch all raw edges that cannot be turned in.
Continue sewing right over the edge of the casting, catching the elastic. Go back and forth several times, making sure the elastic is secured.
This is what you should end up with, a nice neat edge, with no raw cut edges sticking out.
Repeat turning in the raw edges and tacking down the elastic for the other end. Now you can pull the elastic tight and cut right at at the line where it was secured.
Repeat for other leg/side.
To make sure nothing is going to ravel away later, I like to go over the very edge of the soaker once more before finishing.
Secure with pins or a snappi, or you could get fancy and secure with snaps or velcro. I would recommend fitting it on your baby first and also allowing for growth... adding more snaps/velcro where they might be needed later.
Side view.
Bum view!
Comments much appreciated! I would love to hear how it works out for you or if you have any suggestions! :)
After tons of research I found a few tutorials that took me in the right direction. I first tried with my premium prefolds (4x8x4 layers / 14.5" x 21" unwashed) but I have to alter my pattern a bit to make it work better. With my regular prefolds (4x6x4 layers / 14.5" x 21" unwashed) I have made a fitted diaper that fits my 13-month-old fairly well. (He is small for is age, so this would probably fit 8-12 month olds as well).
So, I give credit to Shanna for the original idea, and here is my tutorial - with a few alterations that are useful if you want to make a fitted diaper from a prefold.
==================================================
You want your prefold to be washed a few times (not brand new)... The dimensions of this prefold are 12.5" x 17" WASHED.
Here I decided to go ahead and slightly iron the diaper so that I don't have bunching issues when I get to sewing. Fold the prefold lengthwise and make sure that the inner seams line up as well as the edges.
Make yourself a pattern. Trace around all sides of the folded prefold (my pattern is about 17" long and 7.25" wide). Mark where the seam is with a dotted line. Then measure 1 inch from the seam toward the edges. This will be your fold line. Then make the tab lines (I made my back tab about 3" wide and the front tab 3.25" wide). There are two ways to do this. In the example below I decided I wanted the advantage of having more elasticity. So I made my line cut straight to the fold line and only just before the fold line made the curve. I like this better than doing a more gradual curve because I found that even though the gradual curve will cover the bum up better you may end up with bigger gaps where things could leak out... (By the way, the purple line on the pattern is a mistake of mine, please disregard).
Trace the lines you want to cut with a fabric pen.
Make the cut (BUT ONLY TO THE FOLD LINE, not any further - and do not cut down the fold line).
Open up the cut, you will find a bit of left over fabric from the layers in the middle. Trim this extra back to the seam line.
You just have to do this for the mid section, not for the tabs of the diaper.
Now find the seams, one of the seams will be a bit jutted out. It is folded over instead of sewn through. Kind of hard to see in this picture. This will be on the INSIDE of your diaper.
Take a seam ripper and break the threads. Try not to damage the diaper too much, and don't go all the way through, you are just making a casting for your back elastic. Do this just below the surge line of the prefold at the back (if you made a more gradual cutout for the back there will be a difference between back and front).
So the same at the other seam at the top back, but this one is not folded over, so you are going to have to cut a few layers of the diaper slightly.
Here is a nifty trick! Put a small saftey pin on the end of your elastic. Then slide the point of a knitting needle or a BBQ skewer into the clasp of the saftey pin. Then just slide the elastic accross to the other hold in the diaper. If you didn't make a deep enough cut you will have to go back and cut again.
Use a zigzag stitch to hold the elastic in place. Go over the area several times making sure that you also catch any raw edges you made in the diaper - to prevent it from developing holes later on.
Pull the elastic tight, so that it still has a tad bit of stretch, but also so that the fabric of the diapier gathers up. Attach the other end of the elastic to the diaper with a zigzag. Again making sure you sew up any cuts. Put the ends of the elastic tight and snip right at the seam, this way it will not show.
Now you are going to fold the flaps over to the OUTSIDE of the diaper (not the side you were just attaching the elastic to.
Make sure that you have about a 1/4" "roll over" from the edge of the leg opening. (The cut V you see in the picture below is not folded directly on the point of the V, it is folded in another 1/4".) This will be handy later when you are sewing up the raw edges - it will make for a much neater edge.
Pin the edges so they won't shift around.
Keeping that 1/4" edge rollover, pull the two edges of the flaps together and measure your seam allowance. Here I will have a 1/2" seam allowance, this can be different for different types / brands of prefolds.
Sew the flaps together with a straight stitch, using the measured seam allowance.
Lay out flat and cut any extras.
Put your hand through the tube, grab the end and pull through.
This is what you should end up with.
Change back to a zigzag stitch, and tack down the rounded edge of the soaker. Start sewing about 1/2" away from the edge (you need to put elastic in the edge, so you don't want to sew up that opening).
When you come to the other edge, turn and use a straight stitch to make a casting for the elastic down this leg. When you come to the end turn and switch again to zigzag. Sew around the soaker and then back down the other leg with a straight stitch again.
This diaper measures about 5" accross the soaker, from one seam to the other. This could vary for your baby...
This is what the diaper should look like now.
Using our nifty trick, push the elastic through one of the legs castings. Don't cut the elastic until it is completely tacked down.
Now you want to turn in the raw edges on the diaper tabs. If you open up the fold this is pretty easy. Just roll in about 3/8." Pins make it easier.
Pin both edges together and sew close to the edge with a straight stitch.
When you get close to the elastic, switch to a zigzag stitch, to make sure that you catch all raw edges that cannot be turned in.
Continue sewing right over the edge of the casting, catching the elastic. Go back and forth several times, making sure the elastic is secured.
This is what you should end up with, a nice neat edge, with no raw cut edges sticking out.
Repeat turning in the raw edges and tacking down the elastic for the other end. Now you can pull the elastic tight and cut right at at the line where it was secured.
Repeat for other leg/side.
To make sure nothing is going to ravel away later, I like to go over the very edge of the soaker once more before finishing.
Secure with pins or a snappi, or you could get fancy and secure with snaps or velcro. I would recommend fitting it on your baby first and also allowing for growth... adding more snaps/velcro where they might be needed later.
Side view.
Bum view!
Comments much appreciated! I would love to hear how it works out for you or if you have any suggestions! :)
Thoughts about better cloth solutions...
Just jotting down my thoughts from tons of research about cloth:
Well I have been searching the web to find out more about diaper covers and possible fabrics for cloth diapering and have come across this page all about the cons of popular artificial materials (such as polyester and polyurethane laminate: PUL) used for sewing diapers and covers because of their water repelling qualities. It is all about how the polys aren't very good for us, and could potentially cause cancer in the long run.
Now, I have come to the conclusion that I would like to try wool fabric. Of course my local Walmart does not carry wool in any form, I would have to drive to the next town to get to a Joann's Fabric store (2 1/2 hours away). I have searched the web, but don't feel very comfortable about buying fabric that I have not touched. I did buy 1 yard of 100% merino wool interlock that is supposed to be great for covers, but it was pretty expensive ($20 /yard) so it is just to try, and if I like it ALOT I may consider buying more. I would like to only have to use one layer for a pocket style diaper, but then there is still that washing issue. Every time the baby poos or wets, the inner flannel layer would have to be washed... not good for the wool.
I think the best solution would be to make a wool cover that can be reused (hung up to dry if only pee) and doesn't have to be washed as often. The idea of converting my prefolds to fitted diapers would then also help to keep the poo in the diaper and not on my cover, so again the cover could be reused more often.
I would love to only have to use a single layer for the wool cover - thus saving on yardage and money, but I don't know how this is possible if I don't want to use fold over elastic. Maybe I will get a chance soon to get some wool fabric used for suits or coats at the fabric store and use a less expensive layer to sew a cover where the elastic is hidden?
I have also considered the idea of using an inner layer of ripstop nylon. Maybe sandwiched between flannel and an outer cover of velour? I think though that the moisture would just wick from the flannel to the velour and it would not be very effective. I would still need a water repelling fabric for the outer wall of the cover to keep the moisture in. Also I have read that the water repelling qualities of ripstop would not hold up against the constant washing that is required for diapering. So maybe it isn't really hepful at all.
Well I have been searching the web to find out more about diaper covers and possible fabrics for cloth diapering and have come across this page all about the cons of popular artificial materials (such as polyester and polyurethane laminate: PUL) used for sewing diapers and covers because of their water repelling qualities. It is all about how the polys aren't very good for us, and could potentially cause cancer in the long run.
Now, I have come to the conclusion that I would like to try wool fabric. Of course my local Walmart does not carry wool in any form, I would have to drive to the next town to get to a Joann's Fabric store (2 1/2 hours away). I have searched the web, but don't feel very comfortable about buying fabric that I have not touched. I did buy 1 yard of 100% merino wool interlock that is supposed to be great for covers, but it was pretty expensive ($20 /yard) so it is just to try, and if I like it ALOT I may consider buying more. I would like to only have to use one layer for a pocket style diaper, but then there is still that washing issue. Every time the baby poos or wets, the inner flannel layer would have to be washed... not good for the wool.
I think the best solution would be to make a wool cover that can be reused (hung up to dry if only pee) and doesn't have to be washed as often. The idea of converting my prefolds to fitted diapers would then also help to keep the poo in the diaper and not on my cover, so again the cover could be reused more often.
I would love to only have to use a single layer for the wool cover - thus saving on yardage and money, but I don't know how this is possible if I don't want to use fold over elastic. Maybe I will get a chance soon to get some wool fabric used for suits or coats at the fabric store and use a less expensive layer to sew a cover where the elastic is hidden?
I have also considered the idea of using an inner layer of ripstop nylon. Maybe sandwiched between flannel and an outer cover of velour? I think though that the moisture would just wick from the flannel to the velour and it would not be very effective. I would still need a water repelling fabric for the outer wall of the cover to keep the moisture in. Also I have read that the water repelling qualities of ripstop would not hold up against the constant washing that is required for diapering. So maybe it isn't really hepful at all.
My creation: a fleece pocket diaper!
This is my VERY own creation! I am surprised at how good it looks and how well it fits. I altered the Rita's Rump pattern to my liking and came up with something much different. I chopped off the end of a prefold for the insert that needed to be a tad bit shorter.
It works well, but I am not sure I am a fan of the pocket diaper. I mean, you have to throw everything into the wash whenever you change the baby. With my prowrap covers, I didn't need to do that when he was only wet and hadn't soaked the cover. This cover's inner lining is flannel, so it will be always wet whenever you change the baby.
I used this tutorial (intended for the Honeyboy pocket pattern) to kind of get an idea of how to sew it up. Espeically important is "overlapping" the fleece so that it turns towards the inside at the leg openings - this is intended to help reduce moisture from wicking out of the diaper and onto clothes.
I may post instructions and/or a pattern for this diaper, if/when I find the time... I first have to decide how much I really do like it! :-)
It works well, but I am not sure I am a fan of the pocket diaper. I mean, you have to throw everything into the wash whenever you change the baby. With my prowrap covers, I didn't need to do that when he was only wet and hadn't soaked the cover. This cover's inner lining is flannel, so it will be always wet whenever you change the baby.
I used this tutorial (intended for the Honeyboy pocket pattern) to kind of get an idea of how to sew it up. Espeically important is "overlapping" the fleece so that it turns towards the inside at the leg openings - this is intended to help reduce moisture from wicking out of the diaper and onto clothes.
I may post instructions and/or a pattern for this diaper, if/when I find the time... I first have to decide how much I really do like it! :-)
Farm Fleece Wrap, PART II
Added a gusset to each of the legs, this makes for a much better fit over a prefold, in my opinion. :-) This cover works great and keeps him dry even over night, I am very impressed by the power of fleece! I bought this print from Joann Fabrics. I have read that Maiden Mills or Windpro are the preferred brands of fleece for cloth diapering purposes, but at $14.00 /yard I am not quite sure it is worth the extra money. I don't remember how much I paid for my fleece, but I am sure it was under $10.00.
This is the Rita's Rump pattern altered to add a gusset. I just traced the mid section of the leg hold on the original pattern and drew a line across the U-shape to make a template for the gusset. Then I added some extra for a seam allowance. The top seam (straight side) of the gusset elastic sewn into the seam allowance and turned to make a pocket for the elastic. Then you just sandwich the gusset between the diaper inner and outer layers when you are sewing up the seam.
This is the Rita's Rump pattern altered to add a gusset. I just traced the mid section of the leg hold on the original pattern and drew a line across the U-shape to make a template for the gusset. Then I added some extra for a seam allowance. The top seam (straight side) of the gusset elastic sewn into the seam allowance and turned to make a pocket for the elastic. Then you just sandwich the gusset between the diaper inner and outer layers when you are sewing up the seam.
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