I didn't put Tot in much wool because I really didn't understand it. And Hubs was worried about how he was going to be able to handle it. When Daredevil came along I had two pieces because I was learning to knit (and I still am) and I figured I'd give it a try. What's the worst that could happen? Really it's just pee. Well, the worst thing that could happen is that you fall in love with it and become obsessed on obtaining more! Since that's not a financially feasible thing to buy here I'm doing the next best thing. I'm making it myself. There are some adorable wool diapering garments out there but many of them are well out of my price range at $50 on up. With a little patience so far I've made several soakers and a couple pairs of longies just scouring the internet for free patterns and also doing a little trial and error as I go. I'm currently working on a project that is for Daredevil and it will be of the cover function but for now that one's under wraps because I'm messing around with it a little bit to see fully what I come up with.
What's so great about wool you ask? Well, it provides breathability. A lot of it. And for babes with sensitive skin like mine they get a lot of benefit from having air able to get at their skin. Doesn't it get soaked? Well, yes and no. Wool when properly cared for has this wonderful ability to retain it's weight (and then a little more) when wet. So, if I put on a diaper that's reasonably stuffed for Daredevil's peeing abilities for overnight with a wool cover I can be guaranteed that I wake up with a dry bed. And the lanolin acts as a scrubber to neutralize the urine. They can be worn several times (often a couple weeks) before needing to be washed again. Once it starts smelling like urine is when it's time to wash it. Now if you're using it during the newborn stage you're going to get poop on it because let's face it...poop happens. Just wash and lightly lanolize. Or don't even bother lanolizing because it's going to get washed again the next time it's worn right? And if you're doing frequent changes compression leaks from the baby sitting on the floor playing or even in the carseat don't really happen. If you notice that the wool is starting to feel damp it's definitely time for a diaper change.
Wool is fantastic though. With Daredevil I currently have two pairs of longies that I put on her on the cold or windy days here. They keep her warm and dry. And because the wool is breathable it would work to also keep her cool if wearing them on the warm days. She's not overheating, I promise. And the other great thing about wool is that you can really find a lot to match your personality or tastes depending on what you're buying. If you have even basic knitting or crocheting skills and a little time you can make them yourself. There are lots of options out there. And you can always have that secret wishlist of what you'd like to try. On mine I have an interlock pair either by Sbish or a custom by Once Upon A Baby on etsy. I borrowed a soaker from a friend who had one made by the latter and I loved it. Daredevil was incredibly comfortable and it was great for a marathon of errands.
Isn't it hard to care for? Nope. I have a little tub that I use to care for mine. I got it in the kitchen department. It's used for washing dishes. I put in my wool wash and run some very warm water and swish it around. And I add some liquid lanolin or some solid like Lansinoh used for breastfeeding. About the size of a dime and I put my piece(s) in and swirl them around briefly to get wet and capture the lanolin droplets floating in the water. I let it sit for about a half hour. Then I gently wring out excess water. I put the piece in a towel and roll it up to get more water out and then I line dry it. It dries for me in a day here because there's no humidity to really speak of. In the colder climates though it did take about two days to dry unless I put it in a sunny spot near (but not on) a heater. I currently have 8 pieces in rotation and I'm working on more. A couple are crocheted soakers (underwear style) that were felted (put in the washer on hot until they shrunk to where I wanted them and then dried). Two pairs of longies (pants) and a pair of shorties (shorts). I also have a pair of longies for Daredevil to wear next year. They were for Tot but he refused to wear them so they have to sit for another year until she's ready to wear them. Give it a try. I assume no responsibility for the obsession that follows.
Showing posts with label Cloth diapers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Cloth diapers. Show all posts
Sunday, February 6, 2011
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
The Diaper Factor
I recently was given the opportunity to guest blog here. It was a lot of fun! And it was my first foray into guest writing for anyone. I have to admit that I get some funny looks sometimes when people see that we use cloth diapers and other times I get questions. I have to say I'll take it either way especially since it's summertime and I'm putting Baby in just tee-shirts and diapers. I figure I've got two children with fluffy butts why not show off the cuteness on one of them while it's still ok. I mean, come on, how many people get to run around in just their underwear and not get the side eye? Very few, unless you're an underwear model on a billboard or runway. And even then it generally sticks to those two venues. So, I'll take advantage of showing off the cuteness.
When I was pregnant with Tot I started looking at the idea of cloth when we were trying to figure out how to keep expenses at a minimum because I had been laid off for the second time in a little over a year. The layoff while pregnant came as completely unexpected at 14 weeks. I was upset and angry because all I could think was who was going to hire a pregnant woman? Yes, yes, I know. Discrimination based upon pregnancy is illegal, but let's face the fact that it happens. No one wants to hire a pregnant woman 99% of the time. I mananged to find something but it was still stress inducing. So, as I looked more and more at our budget I all saw cloth diapers as a way to save some money especially when I looked at the cost of disposables. That cost was just an eye bugging moment every time we walked into the store and saw the prices and wondered how people can handle throwing money in the trash on a regular basis. I mean, I had a pair of jeans that I wore because they were my favorite. They were finally laid to rest during my sophomore year of college. I had them since 6th grade. They were faded and falling apart at the seams. My newest pair I've had for the better part of 6 years now and they still fit after two children.
Hubs took a little convincing to get on board with the idea of cloth. He was even talking to his family about it and that was where some of the negativity towards cloth started. All that was thought of was rubber/plastic pants and old-fashioned diapers. Hubs wore cloth because his skin was too sensitive to wear disposables. However it took little convincing once Hubs saw what cloth was like now as I had purchased a few "daddy friendly" BumGenius diapers. Tot was in disposables for the first two months because the diapers were one-size but don't really fit until 10 lbs or so. Tot went into cloth and it was amazing. I still had user error but I wore less blowouts even with our lack of getting the right fit while we were figuring out this whole new world. I remember the turning point of saying I absolutely hated disposables and wanted to start using cloth asap. Tot was around 8 weeks old and he was a poop machine and that's putting it mildly. We were still getting the breastfeeding thing down and I was still overwhelmed in my new role as a mom. But, Tot decided to just clear out one particular day. His 8th blowout of the day (seriously) happened 5 minutes before Hubs walked in the door from work. I was a wreck! We got his clothes off of him but not before we really got poop all over him. Then Hubs grabbed a trash bag and we carried Tot into the bathroom and proceeded to change him over the tub with the trash bag underneath him. Then we had to hose him off. Thank goodness for handheld shower heads! Needless to say I was not pleased. That was the day of 15 outfit changes because he spit up so much and had so many blowouts. It was a very dark day. But, it lead me to a resolve that we were going to use cloth and make it work.
Well, here we are over 2.5 years later and Tot is still in cloth. We got the usual naysaying of "it won't last" and "why would you want to do that?" And now Baby is in cloth and I have to say she has one of the cutest bums out there because it's covered in cloth. But, I'm biased. So, why do I want to use cloth....?
1. MONEY! I have saved over $3000 in diapering and this includes water/electricity usage.
2. The skin factor....My kids get rashy in disposables. Plus, I've recently seen photos of rashes that are happening to children using one very popular disposable brand. My kids wake up with beautiful smooth skin and that makes me happy. I don't have to waste even more money on expensive petroleum based creams.
3. No late night runs to the store. I just throw the diapers in the wash and I always have a rotation of diapers on the table ready to use. I really am the laziest person out there. I hate even carrying paper towels into the house and am switching away from their use as well.
4. No chemicals/synthetic fragrances against my kids skin. I'm not the only one out there that hates the weird purfumey smell of disposables. It's is an immediate headache inducing, nauseating smell.
5. Money. Did I mention that? It's a pretty important one for us.
6. Less disposables in the trash to "decompose or biodegrade." Sitting in a landfill diapers, nor other matter will break down. At least not in my lifetime or for several generations after my great-grandchildren will come and pass. The Earth is not of unlimited resources. And those chemicals along with human waste leech. And in case, you didn't know you are supposed to dispose of solids in disposables by flushing the solids in your toilet before throwing them in the trash. But, I know many people do not take this step. They simply roll up the diaper and put it in the trash. Blech! Then that reaches the water table. Ok, enough soap boxing there for now.
There is more for the diaper factor. But, for now Baby is happily smacking her lips at me to get her fed. Have questions about cloth diapering? Ask me. I'll be happy to compile a list and do some posting about them!
When I was pregnant with Tot I started looking at the idea of cloth when we were trying to figure out how to keep expenses at a minimum because I had been laid off for the second time in a little over a year. The layoff while pregnant came as completely unexpected at 14 weeks. I was upset and angry because all I could think was who was going to hire a pregnant woman? Yes, yes, I know. Discrimination based upon pregnancy is illegal, but let's face the fact that it happens. No one wants to hire a pregnant woman 99% of the time. I mananged to find something but it was still stress inducing. So, as I looked more and more at our budget I all saw cloth diapers as a way to save some money especially when I looked at the cost of disposables. That cost was just an eye bugging moment every time we walked into the store and saw the prices and wondered how people can handle throwing money in the trash on a regular basis. I mean, I had a pair of jeans that I wore because they were my favorite. They were finally laid to rest during my sophomore year of college. I had them since 6th grade. They were faded and falling apart at the seams. My newest pair I've had for the better part of 6 years now and they still fit after two children.
Hubs took a little convincing to get on board with the idea of cloth. He was even talking to his family about it and that was where some of the negativity towards cloth started. All that was thought of was rubber/plastic pants and old-fashioned diapers. Hubs wore cloth because his skin was too sensitive to wear disposables. However it took little convincing once Hubs saw what cloth was like now as I had purchased a few "daddy friendly" BumGenius diapers. Tot was in disposables for the first two months because the diapers were one-size but don't really fit until 10 lbs or so. Tot went into cloth and it was amazing. I still had user error but I wore less blowouts even with our lack of getting the right fit while we were figuring out this whole new world. I remember the turning point of saying I absolutely hated disposables and wanted to start using cloth asap. Tot was around 8 weeks old and he was a poop machine and that's putting it mildly. We were still getting the breastfeeding thing down and I was still overwhelmed in my new role as a mom. But, Tot decided to just clear out one particular day. His 8th blowout of the day (seriously) happened 5 minutes before Hubs walked in the door from work. I was a wreck! We got his clothes off of him but not before we really got poop all over him. Then Hubs grabbed a trash bag and we carried Tot into the bathroom and proceeded to change him over the tub with the trash bag underneath him. Then we had to hose him off. Thank goodness for handheld shower heads! Needless to say I was not pleased. That was the day of 15 outfit changes because he spit up so much and had so many blowouts. It was a very dark day. But, it lead me to a resolve that we were going to use cloth and make it work.
Well, here we are over 2.5 years later and Tot is still in cloth. We got the usual naysaying of "it won't last" and "why would you want to do that?" And now Baby is in cloth and I have to say she has one of the cutest bums out there because it's covered in cloth. But, I'm biased. So, why do I want to use cloth....?
1. MONEY! I have saved over $3000 in diapering and this includes water/electricity usage.
2. The skin factor....My kids get rashy in disposables. Plus, I've recently seen photos of rashes that are happening to children using one very popular disposable brand. My kids wake up with beautiful smooth skin and that makes me happy. I don't have to waste even more money on expensive petroleum based creams.
3. No late night runs to the store. I just throw the diapers in the wash and I always have a rotation of diapers on the table ready to use. I really am the laziest person out there. I hate even carrying paper towels into the house and am switching away from their use as well.
4. No chemicals/synthetic fragrances against my kids skin. I'm not the only one out there that hates the weird purfumey smell of disposables. It's is an immediate headache inducing, nauseating smell.
5. Money. Did I mention that? It's a pretty important one for us.
6. Less disposables in the trash to "decompose or biodegrade." Sitting in a landfill diapers, nor other matter will break down. At least not in my lifetime or for several generations after my great-grandchildren will come and pass. The Earth is not of unlimited resources. And those chemicals along with human waste leech. And in case, you didn't know you are supposed to dispose of solids in disposables by flushing the solids in your toilet before throwing them in the trash. But, I know many people do not take this step. They simply roll up the diaper and put it in the trash. Blech! Then that reaches the water table. Ok, enough soap boxing there for now.
There is more for the diaper factor. But, for now Baby is happily smacking her lips at me to get her fed. Have questions about cloth diapering? Ask me. I'll be happy to compile a list and do some posting about them!
Sunday, July 4, 2010
Too much time away from the serger!
I finally got to sit down the other night and make a fitted for Baby that had been sitting on my table mocking me for a few weeks. I haven't gotten much time to do more than a quickie project here or there since Baby arrived. She's a demanding nurser to which I'm happy to oblige. But, I started out using the VeryBaby.com pattern with some modification. It turned out great for my very first OS (one sized) fitted. I can't wait to finish the other 10 or so sitting on the table. They're laughing at me right now. All those cool prints are laughing at me that I didn't tackle them as soon as I cut. I give them the evil eye back. It's a two way street, right? I just need to add snaps one night this week and it's ready to go. Ok, so here's the fluff love!
Saturday, April 10, 2010
Repairing BumGenius Elastics
I've been meaning to make this post for a long time but, well...procrastination got in the way. I know there is a tutorial on Diaperswappers.com but I get a virus every time I visit that site and hubs is tired of running AV software on my computer. So, for those of you that have the fear of that site as I do then this is for you. And by the way, I'd love to visit the site without worrying about viruses because I have diapers to trade and am looking for a very specific diaper as well, but it's just not going to happen until I can go on there more than half the time without getting one.
If you're handy enough with a seam ripper and a sewing machine you can do this in about an hour for both legs. Add in the back and it's probably two hours from start to finish. The reason for that I've noticed is that the back elastic seems to have been caught in the sewing process so you generally have to open the entire casing, sew it back down then put your elastic through and close it up. And I am offering this service as of right now on my etsy shop for those that aren't inclined to sew or don't have a machine. But, that's another story.
So here it is without further adieu....
Step 1)
Take the diaper you want to repair the leg elastic of. On the outside of the diaper at the start of the leg curve/casing gently rip of the seam for about an inch on each end of the legs going towards the crotch.
Step 2)
When you turn the diaper inside out you should be able to see where you've opened up and some of the elastic showing as well. This will be what you're working with.
Step 3)
Cut your new elastic to about 4 1/2 inches long. (The diaperswappers posting I believe says that from the back of a ballpoint pen to the bottom of the cap is the length needed. I have a toddler who loves pens and I have no idea where he hides them or the caps.) Thread a hand needle with some thread. I used a bright color thread for this. And keep a small crochet hook on hand just in case your current diaper elastic breaks.
Step 4)
Take the threaded hand needle and sew the end of your new elastic to the end of your old elastic. Once you've done that you can gently pull the old elastic on the other end of the leg to bring through the new elastic. Make sure you don't pull too far or you'll lose the new elastic from where you started.
Step 4.5)
If the old elastic breaks while pulling to bring through the new elastic use your small crochet hook to help bring the new elastic through. What I did was use the length of old elastic still sewn to me new elastic. I sewed another piece of thread to the old elastic to make a loop I could grab with on the hook. I then gently pulled that through and kept on with business.
Step 5)
Turn your diaper inside out and sew the casing shut on where you started to pull through the elastic. A tip so you don't lose your elastic doing this is to actually lightly hand sew the ends of the elastic to the strip of serging inside the diaper. I don't do that because it is a pain in the butt and my hand needles don't like doing it. So I half turn the diaper inside out to start the one end and slowly make my way down the crotch of the casing to the other opening making sure I don't catch any other part of the diaper in the machine. I slowly sew down the casing line until I get to the other open end and then sew that shut as well making sure I have all of my new elastic up to where I'm sewing.
TIP: Use a size 10 needle in your machine along with good 100% polyester thread. I am using Gutterman now after mistakenly using Coats & Clark which for some reason caused wicking on me. I use Coats & Clark for other things, but not on my diapers.
Step 6)
Sit back and admire your like new leg elastic....then get cracking on the other side if it needs to be done. Don't forget to throw the diaper in the dryer to make sure the PUL seals around the thread.
Now, if you need to repair the waist elastic at the back... I don't have pics but can take some next time I do one. It's almost the same thing. You have to open up the seams (make sure the elastic wasn't sewn into the casing which usually is fairly obvious I've noticed) and have 5" (I'm still figuring this one out but 5 isn't too bad) of new elastic. Do your pull through and sew shut.
One more hint with your diapers.... Every now and then turn the diaper tabs inside out and clean them out. You'd be surprised at the amount of lint and nastiness that gets stuck in there! Enjoy!
If you're handy enough with a seam ripper and a sewing machine you can do this in about an hour for both legs. Add in the back and it's probably two hours from start to finish. The reason for that I've noticed is that the back elastic seems to have been caught in the sewing process so you generally have to open the entire casing, sew it back down then put your elastic through and close it up. And I am offering this service as of right now on my etsy shop for those that aren't inclined to sew or don't have a machine. But, that's another story.
So here it is without further adieu....
Step 1)
Take the diaper you want to repair the leg elastic of. On the outside of the diaper at the start of the leg curve/casing gently rip of the seam for about an inch on each end of the legs going towards the crotch.
Step 2)
When you turn the diaper inside out you should be able to see where you've opened up and some of the elastic showing as well. This will be what you're working with.
Step 3)
Cut your new elastic to about 4 1/2 inches long. (The diaperswappers posting I believe says that from the back of a ballpoint pen to the bottom of the cap is the length needed. I have a toddler who loves pens and I have no idea where he hides them or the caps.) Thread a hand needle with some thread. I used a bright color thread for this. And keep a small crochet hook on hand just in case your current diaper elastic breaks.
Step 4)
Take the threaded hand needle and sew the end of your new elastic to the end of your old elastic. Once you've done that you can gently pull the old elastic on the other end of the leg to bring through the new elastic. Make sure you don't pull too far or you'll lose the new elastic from where you started.
Step 4.5)
If the old elastic breaks while pulling to bring through the new elastic use your small crochet hook to help bring the new elastic through. What I did was use the length of old elastic still sewn to me new elastic. I sewed another piece of thread to the old elastic to make a loop I could grab with on the hook. I then gently pulled that through and kept on with business.
Step 5)
Turn your diaper inside out and sew the casing shut on where you started to pull through the elastic. A tip so you don't lose your elastic doing this is to actually lightly hand sew the ends of the elastic to the strip of serging inside the diaper. I don't do that because it is a pain in the butt and my hand needles don't like doing it. So I half turn the diaper inside out to start the one end and slowly make my way down the crotch of the casing to the other opening making sure I don't catch any other part of the diaper in the machine. I slowly sew down the casing line until I get to the other open end and then sew that shut as well making sure I have all of my new elastic up to where I'm sewing.
TIP: Use a size 10 needle in your machine along with good 100% polyester thread. I am using Gutterman now after mistakenly using Coats & Clark which for some reason caused wicking on me. I use Coats & Clark for other things, but not on my diapers.
Step 6)
Sit back and admire your like new leg elastic....then get cracking on the other side if it needs to be done. Don't forget to throw the diaper in the dryer to make sure the PUL seals around the thread.
Now, if you need to repair the waist elastic at the back... I don't have pics but can take some next time I do one. It's almost the same thing. You have to open up the seams (make sure the elastic wasn't sewn into the casing which usually is fairly obvious I've noticed) and have 5" (I'm still figuring this one out but 5 isn't too bad) of new elastic. Do your pull through and sew shut.
One more hint with your diapers.... Every now and then turn the diaper tabs inside out and clean them out. You'd be surprised at the amount of lint and nastiness that gets stuck in there! Enjoy!
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