It’s Valentines Day, my Dad’s Birthday, and it’s Mailbox Monday! Every Monday (if I have received a submission), I will answer reader submitted questions, and ask readers to weigh in with their opinions.

Questions don’t have to be cloth diaper related, just email maria at change-diapers.com with “Mailbox Mondays” in the subject, or Fill out my contact form for readers, which you will always be able to find on my Contact Page.

Melissa says:

Hi Maria,

I know you usually purchase your diapers but I was wondering if you have any advice for making your own cloth diaper. I am currently pregnant with my first so I am still a newby with all this. I have found several great templates with step by step directions online and they all recommend using flannel as their main material. I was wondering about using fleece for the layer that touches that baby’s skin, since that is what seems to be most popular with the name brand diapers. What is the difference between the fleece that I can purchase from the cloth store and microfleece? Is it really necessary to purchase microfleece?

Also, do you have a source for good wool soakers and longies?

Thank you so much for helping me wade through this world of cloth diapers 🙂

Melissa

You’re right that I don’t sew my own diapers!  I don’t have a sewing machine and while I thought about getting one, I don’t realistically think I’d have time to spend on that right now.  I think it’s awesome that you are a) going to cloth diaper your first baby (why was I such a chicken??) and b) sewing your own!

So, when I had my bright idea that I wanted to try to make my own diapers, I joined the group Sewing Diaper Divas on Cafemom.  There is lots of great information there on materials, patterns and techniques, though my membership lapsed since I wasn’t active there.  There are also a lot of talented WAHMs in the Cuties With Cloth Booties group on Cafemom, that can give you tips!

The benefit of fleece against baby’s skin is that it will wick moisture away from the baby’s skin into the insert or soaker of the diaper, while flannel will stay wet against the baby’s skin. 

Microfleece and fleece are both polyester, but microfleece is made of smaller, and more tightly woven fibers.  It is a lighter “weight” than something like Walden Mills Fleece (which can be used as the outer of night time diapers.)  Generally speaking, water will pass through the microfleece more easily, and it doesn’t get as pilly over time.

What materials you use will depend on what you want to make.  It’s not a bad idea to just start out with some extra, or inexpensive flannel receiving blankets, and get some practice before buying materials.

I have three wool soakers: a Little Beetle Little to Big Cover, a Kissaluvs Kissa’s Wool Lover Diaper Cover and a Mobums Wool Interlock Night Night Soaker.  Wool longies/shorties/skirties are often stocked in The Cuties with Cloth Booties Congo and The Bliss Congo, both of which are stuffed full of talented WAHMs!

I don’t own any wool other than what I listed above, largely because wool is just out of my price range.

I think the readers would be better qualified to answer these questions this week!  How about you all?  Do you make your own diapers?  Do you have a favorite place to buy wool?

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