Swim Diapers

So after a bit of research, I learned that a re-usable swim diaper is simply any diaper or trainer pattern made out of waterproof material. Its goal is to keep the feces in and let the urine out. If it kept the urine in, it would also keep the water in...

So I tried making a couple. I used the Wee Weka pattern for a side snapping diaper (http://www.thenappynetwork.org.nz/images/WeeWeka_MLSideSnap.pdf). I used PUL on the inside, but flipped over so the knit side is facing baby and the plastic side is facing out. I used swimsuit stretch lycra on the outside. It is bound with FOE and the snaps are resin.

I made the bottom one with flowers first. After putting it on the baby, I realized that a trimmer fit would probably make for a better swim diaper and this would be best loved by someone who also used prefolds and covers (in addition to swimming-- then it could be both a diaper cover and swim diaper).

I had already cut the other fabric so, instead of switching patterns, I edited my fabric to try to make up for the huge-ness of the bottom one. I folded it in half and trimmed the crotch narrower and cut about an inch off the top. This meant that the bottom one has two layers of snaps and can be adjusted to fit better. The top one only has one layer of snaps. I am quite happy with it and looking forward to trying it tomorrow at swim class!

If I would do this again, I would use a trainer pattern and close one side and do snaps on the other side. I love how they look, though, with the white PUL on the inside and the lycra on the outside.

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EcaPants Knockoff/ Drop-Flap Training Pants

In search of the elusive drop-flap trainer, I looked and looked all over the internet. I found a pattern for one (http://www.nooneewilga.com/DIY/sewingpatterns.html) but couldn't find a photo of what it looked like when open. I found another one that was called an EC Diaper and looked really cute and like a great idea (http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=24071806). But I kept being fascinated by the EcaPants (http://www.ecawarebaby.com/products.html). The problem was, with all of these styles, I didn't really get it. I couldn't really see what was going on to make them drop-flap without touching one. The EC Diaper photos were pretty good, but I wanted better. So I ordered a pair of EcaPants to try out.


The EcaPants are really cool. They are basically a trim pocket training pant with long tabs and an open piece of FOE across the middle. The one I bought was made of PUL on the outisde and with snaps (they sell a velcro option, and they sell a nonwaterproof option). On the inside, they use cotton, and I think it is birdseye 100% cotton. It is surprisingly thin and absorbant.

So on my knockoff, I traced the pattern, and used PUL on the outside and unbleached cotton sherpa on the inside. I did a one layer soaker, and another layer in the middle to serve as a pocket. I used snaps and an open piece of FOE. On the EcaPants, they have an extra snap on the FOE to make it smaller, and I copied this, too.

I like these. I am hoping to be able to make my pattern into different sizes at some point so I can use it for other trainers. It is a really nice, trim fit, especially when I snap the tabs nice and snug. I have been using them at night (the pair I bought and and pair I made), and they are a nice compromise between velcro and nothing. Sometimes it is a challenge to snap them up tight in the dark after taking my son potty, but I still think it is easier than just using a snapping diaper or trainer.

I think I may buy the newborn size or the one size EC Diaper from Etsy to copy as well. I am not sure about that one, though, because of my aversion to velcro and the sound it makes (wakes baby up).

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Sleep Sack

I had a great nighttime EC idea. The problem is that the baby rolls around at night. When he has to go potty, the velcro of diapers wakes him up. Snaps often take too long to re-attach afterwards, and pull-up style bottoms require a bit of twisting. Going naked-bottom on a waterproof/ absorbant mat (aka piddle pad) is our current solution.
I had thought that a solution would be a sleep sack. So I borrowed one and traced it. Instead of doing a zipper, I left it as a V-Neck and did elastic in the bottom instead of closing it. My idea was that I would be able to pull it up and down as needed and he could roll around to his heart's content.
Well, it turns out that he could slip his legs out easily (duh) and got twisted as he rolled. A solution would be to add snaps to the bottom to keep it shut but then we are back to a snapping diaper solution and haven't gotten anywhere.
I was hoping this one, made of flannel, would help me sort out the kinks and I could make another out of a piddle pad material or PUL or maybe do it in PUL with snap-in soakers or something like that. .. because if I left it as flannel and he had a miss overnight, it would be all WET and worse than before (since the idea is that he always feels dry).
Oh well.... maybe the next idea will work. Hope my friend who I gave it to gets lots of use out of it (her baby is in diapers!).

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Baby Boxers

I found the pair of shorts on the left in the baby's pile of clothing, and have been using them incessently. Since we do EC, it is a LOT easier to have one layer to pull down rather than two. And no matter how much I like to put him in undies, sometimes it's not appropriate to go out in your undies (even if you are a baby).

I made this pattern. I traced the shorts on the left, and looked at my favorite pants pattern (http://doityourselfec.blogspot.com/search/label/Easy%20up%20and%20down%20pants). Basically, it is the pattern at the top, but narrower through the thighs. And at the waist, instead of using elastic in a casing, it is a 2" strip of four-way stretch cotton (or cotton/ lycra-- or I am currently making some with bamboo stretch material! Very cool -- from Wazoodle...). My guy is now 12.5 months old and the strip for his waist is 16" long. Sew it closed, fold it in half, match up the back to the back, and stretch it as you sew (like this turorial shows: http://doityourselfec.blogspot.com/search/label/Non-waterproof%20training%20pants).

I really like these and am making more of them. The striped material is nice and boxer-like, though.

Here is the tutorial I did for them.

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Velcro Toy

We thought it would be a great idea to make the baby a velcro toy, since he can't seem to get enough of eating and touching bits of fabric and opening and closing velcro.

These are made with canvas with velcro, bits of elastic and fleece, and one has a snap.

Alas, he doesn't like to play with them! Maybe he knows they aren't the real thing, and he's not getting anywhere?

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Scandi Mei Tai

I had always wanted to make a baby carrier. I had some fabric that I loved so I decided to go for it. I used this tutorial (http://scanditute.blogspot.com/) and modified it to: 1. make longer by 2" as she suggested (I wouldn't do this again and think I need to go back and cut it shorter), 2. add a pocket and key holder (I would do this in the same as the outer material in the future and make it using a zipper instead of just pleated and with FOE on the top), 3. I used the shortest straps she recommended, and 4. I made the hood wider than she recommended.

I made it using heavy material on the straps and pretty material for the outside. I used one-sided fleece (I think it is called Minky-- it has dots and it super soft) on the inside facing me. On the very inside is a layer of heavy canvas. I modified this to add 2 hidden layers of Zorb. I did this because I carry my son in shorts without diapers, or bottomless, and sometimes he pees and I miss it. I thought the fleece would wick and the Zorb would absorb it and we would be a little more comfortable.

After putting him in it and going for a walk, I would make the next carrier with a few changes. I would attach the hood straps horozontally instead of vertically. I would make the hood taller (you can see in the third photo that it barely covers him). I saw a YouTube video of a woman who had made hers with infant safety loops that the straps lace through on the sides and I may try that to keep the whole thing more stable. I need a better pocket solution. Maybe a strap bag and no front pocket?

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T-Shirt into Baby Pants

There are a LOT of tutorials out there on how to turn an old (or new, in my case) t-shirt into baby pants. There is also a lot of information about how to recycle old clothing into baby clothing.

After reading a few, I thought I might try something fun. I think baby pants rank among the easier of the projects, and the baby gets lots of use out of them. So when my husband came home with a promo shirt for me from work, I knew this was my chance (it was a promo for Vid, the video voice over IP software he'd been working on for Logitech - check it out at www.logitech.com/vid).

On the left is the shirt and the right is the baby pants. The back is in the top photo and the front is in the bottom photo.

I basically used the pants pattern I love and have made a lot of (http://doityourselfec.blogspot.com/search/label/Easy%20up%20and%20down%20pants) and made sure to line it up with where the writing was on the shirt. There was writing on one sleeve that I put onto the waistband. I had enough left over to make a pair of trainers out of the extra material and used the neck band of the shirt as a waistband for the training pants~ very cute. I had to shorten it, but the contrast of the materials looks nice.

One trick I like but didn't use was lining up the bottom with a seam that is already there so you don't have to hem the pants.

Here are some of the links that inspired me:
http://www.rookiemoms.com/make-some-easy-kids-pants/ (shows the hem re-use trick)
http://www.rookiemoms.com/categories/craft/ (T-shirt to newborn gown-- but still inspiring!)
http://nikkishell.typepad.com/wardroberefashion/2009/05/back-for-6-months.html (this website is a bunch of women who refashion clothing)
http://thismamamakesstuff.blogspot.com/search/label/sewing (she does interesting tutorials every now and again)

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Drop-Front All-in-Ones (for home use)

I saw a posting on a French Blog for a prefold belt with an attached front with elastic on the sides. It was made of wool and the blogger used what looked to be a prefold in it.

I thought this would be a great idea for night-time. Night-time EC has been a dance for us, of finding the right attire and set-up to keep the baby peeing in the toilet at night, and not sitting in a wet diaper when there is a miss.

When I saw the French Blog, we were using a prefold belt (available at the EC store - http://www.theecstore.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=1464- or you can make one or use a headband) with a cloth diaper between and having him sleep on a waterproof mat. This system was lacking as he got bigger and started moving off the mat while sleeping. I thought this item would save us having to use the mat.

So-- I made the one on the left. It is cotton on the outside, PUL film from Wazoodle on the inside (which makes a crinkly noise when it is used that PUL doesn't, and I don't love this film), then 2 layers of Zorb, and fleece on the inside. The elastic had to be on the inside instead of buried. The belt is made of cotton around elastic. I had thought it would be ok, but it leaks! It is ok when he is asleep in the Ergo, because he is not moving around, but when he is moving around, it is too loose around the legs. The snaps were added later and did not help. Also, there was too much material. The excess length did nothing to help.


The one on the right works better. The fit is nice, because the waistband is a comfortable stretchy fleece. There is a snap on the waistband so he can use it as he gets bigger. The back panel snaps up and down to let him use it longer. The middle panel is cotton/ PUL film/ Zorb, and fleece, then elastic. The front panel snaps up to meet the waistband. This one works great-- until there is a miss. It is quicker up and down at night and there is less moving the baby around (compared to using trainers-- as an aside, we can never use diapers because the velcro sound wakes him up). BUT-- when there is a miss, it leaks. It doesn't leak as badly as the one on the left, but it is lacking.

The other (obvious) issue with these is that they look weird. We really only use them at home, and only when he is sleeping...

I think I am going to design the one on the right again but make it a cover to use with prefolds. Stay tuned.

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Bibs: Better than Ever

So after using the original bibs for a while it became clear that instead of food staining the clothing, food was going to stain the bib instead. That's not very cute! The original bibs were made of a layer of flannel on the outside and terry on the inside. And, being summer (i.e. plums are juicy!!!), some foods were leaking through and making the baby wet.

So-- the improvement of the bibs is to have them made out of PUL. This way, the food slides right down into the pocket. White is another improvement, because it can be bleached to stay clean.

I think an improvement on these will be to use another color FOE (fold over elastic-- the binding) so they will also stay cleaner-clooking.

Note: See earlier post for pattern link.

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More Baby Undies

So I have been searching and searching for a good baby underwear pattern. I have tried a few, and tried making one (disaster! way too small and the legs didn't match up). I also tried modifying a trainer pattern to make it without the soaker. It ended up way too big, with the crotch too wide and the waist too big. I guess the thickness of the absorbant soaker makes a difference in how the outer material stretches.

I happened to be on Etsy and found one for sale. After contemplating for a few days, I decided to go for it ( http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=27394881&ref=sr_list_1&&ga_search_query=children%27s+undies+pattern&ga_search_type=all&ga_page=&order=date_desc&includes[]=tags&includes[]=title). It is sized 2-4-6-8 and there is a pattern for girls' underwear and another pattern for boys' underwear. They are equally cute.

Here are photos of the 5 pairs I have made so far using this pattern. They are perhaps the cutest things I maybe have ever seen.
I was surprised that the size 2 fits pretty perfectly, and I had to modify the leg and waist band length up quite a bit from what she recommends (to 11" and 16", if any of you buy it and want to use it for your 23 pound 11-month old). My next modification is going to be shortening the whole thing at the waist by about an inch, because it sits at the waist and I think it would be cuter below the belly.

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