Tuesday, March 3, 2009

Small Pocket Diapers

Here are some new pocket diapers I have made for baby. They are PUL outside with suedecloth liner and a combo of inserts made of terrycloth and/or microfiber. The polka-dot (my favorite) is a 100% polyester fabric (so it doesn't wick) on the outside of the PUL fabric. I'll be making some red paisley ones too!






Sunday, March 1, 2009

The Meanest Mom

OK, I just found the best blog! Daily I am called the meanest mom by my children and I always tell them that that is my job-- to be the meanest. I also tell them that if I didn't love them, I wouldn't be so mean. So here is a link to a great blog about being the meanest mom! They have a great giveaway this month too!

Tuesday, February 10, 2009

Crocheted Wool Cover


OK, I crocheted this cover following a Thirstie XS PUL cover. It even has gussets (not shown in photos). I used FOE around edges. My baby is about 12lbs here. I didn't use it for a while since I hadn't lanolinized it. I finally decided I needed to try it or sell it. I LOVE it! I am now kicking myself for not trying it sooner! There are many reasons to use wool as a cover. Most people think of wool as itchy-- But we only use the softest wool for babies and lanolin is what keeps it soft and leak proof. Wool also absorbs up to 40% of it's weight in liquid before feeling damp-- so it's perfect for heavy wetters! You usually don't wash it in the washer - but by hand with a special wool wash-- Don't use Woolite as that removes the lanolin.
Here is some info I retrived off of this web site:
Wool allows your baby's skin to breathe, is warm in the winter, cool in the summer, antimicrobial, and doesn't retain odors. Wool comes from a renewable resource (sheep!) and needs to be washed only every 2 weeks or when soiled.
Wool is so easy to care for. It should be washed every one to two weeks, or when soiled. To keep it leak proof, wool should be lanolized about once a month.
Lanolizing: Submerge the cover in a sink full of lukewarm water with the inside facing up. Take 1/2 teaspoon of lanolin, 1 teaspoon of your favorite baby soap, and place both in 1/2-1 cup of water and microwave until the lanolin is runny (30-90 seconds). Now shake the mixture until it becomes a milky white color. If there are still visible globs of lanolin in the mixture, add more baby soap and shake again until the lanolin is completely emulsified and the mixture is milky white. Pour over your cover. Swish the cover around in the water, let it soak for 20-30 minutes, roll in towel to dry, squeeze out excess moisture, but do not rinse. Hang or lay flat until dry.The inside of the cover will be sticky to the touch for the first day or so.How much lanolin you add depends on how long you want to go before relanolizing. The more lanolin you add (up to 1 1/2 teaspoons), the more sticky the cover will be, but the longer it will repel liquids.

Sunday, January 25, 2009

Thursday, January 8, 2009

Diaper Bag Necessities... Cloth Diapering made easy while away from home

There are a few necessities to have in your diaper bag while on the go with a baby with cloth diapers.

First off, you need a dirty duds bag-- you know something to put the soiled diapers into so not to get everything else in the bag all yucky. Just throw it in the wash with the diapers (empty it out first!). I figure this sized bag will hold 5 or so newborn diapers or 3 lg ones.

approx size: 9 in x 15 in


Second part is a nice changing mat. I wanted something that was washable and would absorb messes-- we all know little ones are known for making messes with a diaper off! So, here I made one with soft comfy fleece and PUL fabric. I added a strap to help fold/roll it up and keep it that way. Having a couple on hand is helpful-- always a back up one while the other is in the wash (when soiled just throw it in the wash with the diapers.)

approx. size: 15" x 30"



Here are the other items I use in a diaper bag-- bottle to hold wipes solution, dry wipes (I wet wipes as I use them-- that way wipes never go moldy), and natural diaper ointment. Regular Diaper Ointments aren't good for cloth diapers as they cause repelling which leads to leaks and may stain them also. For wipes I use squares of flannel fabric or Terry Cloth fabric with the edges serged. For wipes solution I use a peri bottle with water and a little baby bath liquid.


I keep all of this in one of those little insulated bags for storing breast milk they give you for free in the hospital after having a baby.

PUL Diaper Cover


This is a multi-sized (S/M) diaper cover with Gussets, Aplix (like Velcro) waist closure with cross over tabs and fold back laundry tabs and an adjustable rise (with snaps). I was too lazy when sewing on the FOE (Fold Over Elastic) and didn't change the thread color. I am pretty happy with how well this cover works. My baby is still in an XS size moving up to the S so the cross over tabs was a must for us to be able to use this allready.