Licorice Lane Fitted Tester Diaper

Apr 16,2010 / By Maria / 9 Comments

I recently got to test a sized, fitted diaper for Licorice Lane.

The owner makes baby leggings, blankets, hats, booties and lounge pants, but has just recently gotten into diaper making. She used them on her own child, as well as friend’s children, but needed feedback from more mamas with different age babies, different sizes, wetting habits and so forth.

What made testing for Licorice Lane especially fun was that she was truly looking for honest feedback to make a better product that would work for more families. She wasn’t just looking for pats on the back!

I paid a small sum (as did all testers) to cover shipping, and a portion of the materials. The diaper came quickly.

This is a sized, medium diaper, so I was pleasantly surprised to see that it also had a fold down rise with an extra set of snaps.

The mediums are supposed to fit 15-25 pounds, but I imagine they could fit a much smaller baby with the fold down rise.

The diaper is made with a cotton flannel outer, a hidden layer of French terry, and a cotton velour inner.

She is working on a few soaker styles, so testers received different ones. Mine was 2 layers of French terry and 2 layers of cotton velour.

Overall, the quality of construction and stitching were good.

I had to really scrutinize it to find a couple places where the stitching could potentially be a smidge straighter. Still much better than many WAHM products I’ve seen.

My personal preference would be to have the overall diaper be a bit larger. Slightly longer wings, slightly wider crotch and slightly larger diaper overall. However, I realize that I’m just trying to turn it into a one size fitted, LOL. She did say that she may work on a one size in the future.

Here is the Licorice Lane medium in comparison to my favorite one size fitted.

I felt the soaker was a tiny bit wide for the diaper, but she was trying several soaker styles in her testers.

My son really could still wear the diaper on the smaller rise setting. (16.5 lbs, 27.5 inches)

I prefer it hit him a bit higher on the belly. Just what I’m used to I suppose.

If you notice the gap at his right thigh, I had a bit of trouble fitting the diaper. It’s as if I needed snaps where there weren’t any. Pulling the diaper to the overlap snap was too tight.

If I got the outer snaps where they needed to be to make the diaper snug, there was one snap just hanging out.

I ended up just leaving the middle snap of that wing undone, and it worked just fine.

One reason I really enjoyed testing for Licorice Lane is that Brooke looked at the pictures, thought it over and tried to come up with ways to solve this. I think I just needed a snap where there wasn’t one. Or, it could just be operator error. Wouldn’t be the first time!

It fit nicely.

Babyish prints aren’t really my favorite, but this was very cute.

This is a fitted diaper, so the whole diaper is absorbent, and it needs a cover to be waterproof. I know from experience that this soaker style (especially a single with no doubler) doesn’t work well for us coverless. Still, I wanted to test it out.

As I expected, when he wet it, it was soaked right though. When I tried it again with our Flip Cover over it, it worked wonderfully, The diaper was able to absorb more throughout, instead of just soaking through the wetzone.

I do still prefer a 2 petal style soaker with an added doubler. I realize that I am comparing/trying to turn this into my favorite fitted, but really, if I am buying/shopping for a fitted, that’s what I am going to be using as my benchmark!

Licorice Lane was just wonderful to test for. She was receptive to my suggestions and preferences, summarized to make sure she understood all of my input, and sincerely thanked me.

As a tester, I know that other Mamas may have other ideas and preferences, and she can’t please everyone. Therefore, her fitteds might not end up being what works for me. However, the feeling I got from testing for her makes me very willing to try another diaper after tweaks, or any other products from Licorice Lane!

Right now, the Licorice Lane store is set to open on May 1st, though that may change!

Edit August 2010: Since fitted diapers aren’t my favorite, I passed this along to someone who could better use it.

Cloth Diapers Diaper Covers Made in the USA Overnight Diapering Solutions Review Sized Diapers WAHM made Wool

Mobums Wool Interlock “Night Night” Soaker

Apr 15,2010 / By Maria / 6 Comments

I really like my Kissaluvs wool cover, but I wanted a spare for when it was being washed. I also wanted to get a medium, since the large was a bit, well, large.

I managed to win an auction for a mobums “night-night” wool interlock soaker, for about half the price of the Kissaluvs. The night night soaker has a double layer of wool through the whole soaker body, wider waist and leg bands, and all seams are serged for durability.

The size medium I purchased fits a 17″ rise, 15-17″ waist and 9-10″ thighs.

Monique at mobums ended up refunding my shipping (all of it) because there was a slight delay in shipping my soaker out. I didn’t even notice a delay; it came in about a week. Still, that was my first hint that mobums has excellent customer service and really values their customers.

The soaker was shipped lanolized with cucumber melon scented lanolin. I’ve become very sensitive to smells lately and this was a little strong for me. I contacted Monique and got help washing the scent out. She was very apologetic, receptive and sweet. This was nice, since she had no way to know the scent would bother me.

I thought this would be a good opportunity to show you my wool washing routine!

I fill my utility sink with some lukewarm water and a teaspoon or so of Eucalan, then swish it around before adding the wool.

I squeeze the suds into the wool a bit, then let it soak for 15 minutes or so.

In the meantime, I get four towels out, and stack them in sets of two.

When the wool has finished it’s soak, I drain the water, then gently squeeze some of the water out of the wool. Then I lay it on top of a set of towels.

I roll the soaker up inside the towels.

squeeze

unroll

Then move to the next set of towels.

roll

squeeze

unroll

then lay flat to dry. Mobums soakers can be tumbled dry on low, but I’d rather just let it air dry. I’m afraid one day I will accidentally dry it on high and ruin it!

Here’s a close up of the leg openings

and the seams inside the soaker

Here the mobums medium is on top and the Kissaluvs large is on the bottom.

another angle

The Kissaluvs has that extra, extra wide waistband to fold over and cover higher waist diapers etc.

The night night soaker actually has quite a bit of stretch to it.

It fit snugly, without being tight.

It fit over that super fluffy booty!

I topped the soaker off with fleece pants. In the morning, I could feel a bit of dampness on the outside of the soaker. It doesn’t surprise me, and in my opinion, it isn’t a reflection on the quality of the soaker. My son manages to completely saturate an outrageously absorbent fitted, so the fact that the wool (which is breathable remember) was damp where his tush was compressing it all night, doesn’t concern me!

In the end, this is a great product and the fact that it comes with even better service behind it, makes it worth much more than the price I paid!!

August 2010: Still in our regular night time rotation!

Baby Legs Giveaway Review WAHM made

Five in a Row Baby Legs / Leggies Review and Giveaway! CLOSED

Apr 11,2010 / By Maria / 81 Comments

I had been eyeing BabyLegs for a while, but I really hesitated to buy any. At $12 (or more) plus shipping, per pair, I was afraid I wouldn’t like them, they wouldn’t fit etc. Plus, I was having a hard time finding a pair that would match a lot of our diapers.

Several WAHMs make their own version of babylegs out of knee socks. When I saw the pair of “leggies” that Five in a Row had, I jumped on them. $5 including shipping? Yes please!!

If you know me by now, you know I love a personal note!

One end has the original, um, cuff I guess? Hem? I don’t know, what do you call that, LOL. The thing that would be at the top of your sock!! The other end has the hand sewn part where the foot used to begin.

The socks are stretchy. That combined with the change in width led to a little bit of a ruffly seam inside, but you don’t notice it at all when they’re on.

We usually use around 7-10 diapers in a day, so after his first change of the day (I usually don’t get him dressed first thing) I gathered up all the diapers I thought might match.

Hmm, the brown & blue might not match that well. Oh well!

At first I tried the wider, hand-sewn end at the top, and the original, tighter end at the bottom.

Yes, baby holding remote=quiet baby=Mommy can take a picture, LOL!

Are these not adorable?

They eventually slid down.

And when it got over his foot, he yanked that puppy off!

Once I turned them around (tighter end at top), they were just fine!

I think they pink pair she has are adorable. I was tempted to buy them for my 5-year old to wear with skirts, but I don’t know if she would wear them!

Want your own pair? Five in a Row sent me another pair in earthy tones of tan, brown, white and maroon (I think? I’m not great at describing shades of red!) I think they would be great for either a boy or a girl, depending on what you pair them with. One lucky winner gets them!

~~How to win:~~

~~1. Leave a comment on this post. Anything you want to say. 🙂~~
~~2. Follow my blog (current followers count). Comment saying you’re a follower to get your entry.~~
3. ~~Fan me on facebook~~ ~~(current fans count). Comment saying you’re a fan to get your entry.~~
4. ~~Follow me on Twitter~~ ~~(current followers count). Comment saying you’re a follower to get your entry.~~

~~Make sure you leave your email address in your comment if it’s not in your profile.~~

~~I will accept entries until Saturday, April 17th, 2010 at 9 P.M., EST.~~

Cloth Diapers Made in the USA One Size Diapers Overnight Diapering Solutions Pocket Diapers Review WAHM made

DypesByDixon Sweet Slumber Night Time Pocket Diaper

Mar 30,2010 / By Maria / 2 Comments

Finding a night diapering solution seems to be a pretty common dilemma, and I always read and respond to questions about it.

I repeatedly heard people talk about DypesByDixon Sweet Slumber pocket diapers. Since one size pocket diapers are my diaper of choice, I was intrigued. Especially since they are fleece. My son is not sensitive to PUL (knock wood!!) but I’ve heard of children developing a sensitivity, so I’m always interested in non-PUL options.

The diaper maker stocks in her own Hyena Cart store, as well as the Whimsical Fluff Congo and the Cuties With Cloth Booties Congo.

Her diapers are pretty popular and sell out quickly, but I contacted her and she agreed to make me a custom!

I was really pleased with the charcoal fleece/black snap combo I chose, and the diaper came really quickly.

I think it’s a nice touch when diapers are packaged professionally. I know the packaging has nothing to do with the diaper, but to me, the maker taking care to package it like this shows me they probably took the same care when making the diaper.

I always appreciate care instructions. I don’t like having to hunt them down, and not every diaper has the same instructions. I never thought about waiting until the diapers had cooled before stuffing them, but it makes sense.

The sleeve also had weight guidelines. There are 4 size settings, similar to the Happy Heiny’s, they seem to be about a small, medium, large and extra-large/toddler. My 16ish pound son fits well into the medium. I definitely think this diaper will fit for a long time!

In the interest of full disclosure, when I scrutinized the diaper, I did notice that the snaps are not perfectly straight. They’re not totally out of whack and don’t affect the function or closure of the diaper in any way at all, and I am not saying this as a dig at the maker. Just that they don’t look as though they were factory applied like a mass produced diaper. The snaps only look weird in this picture because it’s not completely flat. You have to look pretty closely to see that the snaps aren’t in line like little snap soldiers.

I don’t know if anyone else has ever watched How It’s Made, but I’ve been surprised by how much is done by hand. For example, in an episode about rain boots, a seamstress sewed the same part of the boot over and over, and over again. She did it so quickly, it was practically in the blink of an eye. I would have guessed that was done by a machine. That said, she sews the same part day in and day out, hundreds of times. What she did so precisely in just seconds, would take even an experienced seamstress several minutes to accomplish. In any case, this digression was just to say that I’m not picking on the maker since she has probably applied snaps hundreds of times, ever, not per day. I think the longer a diaper maker has been in business, the more precise she becomes.

The inside is super soft suede cloth. One thing I love about pocket diapers is their stay dry inner. This one is particularly soft!

DypesByDixon come with a microfiber towel to use as an insert. I chose to pay an extra $1.50 for an additional towel. Even with that, I think this diaper was an absolute bargain at $19.50 shipped.

Ideally, I prefer to buy a diaper that comes with a sewn insert. Not only so I can use the diaper without making an additional purchase, but because the insert is usually sized just right to fit in the diaper, and has usually been tested for function in the diaper as well. However, I’m glad it came with something!

We got a great fit!

The two microfiber towels got us through the whole night with no leaks, but they did add a bit of extra bulk between the legs. It didn’t cause any problem at night, but I did end up with a leg gap while I was holding him on my hip before bed one night, leading to a wet Mommy! I also don’t love having to fold them (the feeling on my hands bugs me for some reason); I could probably get a trimmer fit if I folded them differently, but I also had to make sure the end wasn’t too close to the top of the pocket. If the inserts sticks out, you can end up with wicking.

Since then, I’ve tried the diaper with a superdo insert, two microfiber inserts + a hemp doubler, and a loopydo insert + microfiber insert + hemp doubler. All got us through the night with no leaks!

DypesByDixon minky pocket diapers are also very popular. Right now you can win one for the cost of shipping ($3.50). You have to have an account on Hyena Cart to enter. Become a fan of DypesByDixon on Facebook, then enter the giveaway on Hyena Cart. Do it quickly, the Drawing ends April 1, 2010, 12:00 pm EDT.

All in all, this is a great diaper and a great value. The 4 sizes along with the ability to overlap the snaps means that the diaper will fit a huge range of sizes and last a long time!

Edit August 2010: This is still in our regular night-time rotation, stuffed with a Knickernappies Superdo!

Cloth Diapers Fitted Diapers Made in the USA One Size Diapers Review WAHM made

Heartland Dreams Fitted

Mar 27,2010 / By Maria / 11 Comments

I’m really not a huge fan of fitteds because they aren’t waterproof, but the prints are just so cute, they keep sucking me in. I had heard good things about Heartland Dreams, and I wanted one even more after I got the doll diapers her daughter made.

I saw a few prints I liked in her store, but I wasn’t quick enough to snap them up. When I saw this fitted, I grabbed it!

Something unique I didn’t even notice until the third or so wash, is that Tina seams her fabric in the middle. This way, the print is right side up in both the front and the back. Just another little touch, but it does bug me when the print is upside down!

The shape of the diaper and soakers, as well as the fold down rise, remind me of Goodmamas. She also sells one size snappiable/pinnable fitteds, All-in-twos and a 2 stage fitted diapers. I’m currently drooling over this one and this one. Well, the second one is sold but I’m still drooling over it! She also stocks on several congos. She regularly posts when and where she is stocking on the Facebook fan page for Heartland Dreams. In the past, she has also stocked sized pockets (I’d love to try one of those since pockets are my favorite!), sized fitteds, and other things I’m sure I’m neglecting to mention!

This diaper is the first HD I fell in love with but didn’t pounce on. I love that print. *sigh* Poor me.

I received my order really quickly after buying. It was packaged really nicely. I always think it’s a nice touch!

She included a card with care instructions.

And business card…

with a hand written thank you on the reverse.

It’s a small thing, but it’s nice.

She also included a free wipe!

Very cute!

Heartland Dreams diapers are incredibly well made. They simply don’t look like a diaper that a Mom made on her sewing machine at home. I didn’t go over it with a magnifying glass or anything, but wow. The stitching…everything is very professional.

The legs are turned & top stitched to avoid chafing baby’s legs, and the front and wings are serged for less bulk.

The outside of the diaper is cotton knit, there is a hidden layer of OBF (rayon from organic bamboo fleece)and the inner and soakers are topped with OBV (rayon from organic bamboo velour). They are so soft, and there is a signature heart on the reverse of the soaker that is so cute.

Each of the two petals of the snap in soaker has 2 layers of OBF topped with the OBV. Also included is a booster made of two layers of OBF.

I think you can see how well made the diaper in in this photo.

She includes a set of hip snap covers for when you no longer need the wing cross over, and the third snap is no longer snapped into the diaper.

The first time I used the diaper, I just pulled the soakers up, I didn’t fold them at all. All the red spots on my son’s tummy are from the snaps inside our Goodmama One, which he was wearing before this HD. I really do prefer hidden snaps on the inside.

The rise folds down, my son is in that in between height and weight where he can really wear it either way.

All done!

Right side up on the booty too!

Too cute.

He had it on (coverless) for about an hour and a half before I noticed any dampness on the outside. On subsequent uses, I folded the soakers and tri-folded the doubler, to get more coverage in the wet zone. Doing that, I was able to use it coverless for 2+ hours.

I would definitely use a cover for any situation where there might be compression of course!

All in all, I love this diaper. I am really anxious to try one of her all-in-two diapers, since I really prefer diapers that don’t require a cover. (I’m lazy, what can I say?) Heartland Dreams are by far, my favorite WAHM diapers to date. The diaper has been in my rotation for a month now and I’ve had no issues at all!

Edit August 2010: This diaper is adorable, incredibly absorbent and very well made. It’s not in my regular daytime rotation anymore just because I don’t love fitteds in general. I really want to try a HD AI2!

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Category : WAHM made

Licorice Lane Fitted Tester Diaper

Mobums Wool Interlock “Night Night” Soaker

Five in a Row Baby Legs / Leggies Review and Giveaway! CLOSED

DypesByDixon Sweet Slumber Night Time Pocket Diaper

Heartland Dreams Fitted

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