Babyville Boutique: Making it easy to make cloth diapers

I know, it has been too long since my last post. Posts seem to take me a long time to perfect and being pregnant, running a business (not this one), and running after a toddler I always seemed to convince myself that I would make a post another day. Well, another day turned into over 7 months! The cloth diapering world has changed significantly in these past months. Let me tell you a little about it.

Joann's Craft and Fabric Store got rid of all their old PUL. And thank goodness for that! If you've read some of my old posts Joann's had some patterned PUL for sale in which the plastic was on the wrong side! It was very difficult to use to make cloth diapers. I still have quite a bit of the patterned old PUL that I just don't know what to do with.

In addition to the old PUL design flaw, the fabric was also faulty. I bought a huge amount of solid PUL for diapers. I made about 30 diapers and many of them the plastic is separating from the fabric! This was following the washing directions to the T and never drying them with heat. A few of my own I dried on low heat and the plastic not only separated from the fabric but also melted together so the interior of the diaper was just a clump of plastic. I couldn't even fit an insert into it and I don't think they were all that waterproof. I had to through several diapers away. I wish I would have taken a photo of it before I trashed them to share the disaster with you but, alas, I forgot.

When I went to Joann's to get more fabric they told me they not longer sold PUL. I was very disappointed until about a month later.

Joann's, Hancock's, and Hobby Lobby are now carrying the Babyville Boutique cloth diapering line. 

 And it's pretty awesome. They have a book available to buy that has patterns for different sizes and types of diapers. They even show how to make your diapers with gussets!

 When I first began making my own cloth diapers it was difficult to find patterns or the materials to make diapers. I had to design my own pattern and search all other the internet for good materials. But these stores have a whole section now with all you need.

 PUL in a variety of colors and patterns. They come in pre-cut pieces for one diaper or on bolts (Bolts are not available at Hancock's). The PUL is very good quality with a much thicker plastic side that can be dried in the dryer. I recommend buying the PUL by the yard on the bolt and not in these packages because its cheaper. The point in making your own cloth diapers is to save money. The bolts are longer than the old PUL so more diapers can fit per yard. (With the pattern in the book a medium diaper fits 6 per yard.)

I made several of the diapers in the book. The easiest pattern is made with fold over elastic, which I think is genius! It cuts down the actually sewing time to make the diaper by nearly half. No longer do you have to sew and then turn it right side out, make a casing, do a top stitch, sew in the elastic and so on. It's just one step and the elastic folds over very easily. They have the elastic in the Babyville section as well in fun colors (above). These are great if you're making just a couple diapers but if your making several I would recommend going with Dritz white FOE (left). It's quite a bit cheaper if you but it by the yard and you can use a coupon that Joann's is known for.

 They have the pliers you need to press your snaps, the snaps and Velcro in a variety of colors, and cute little labels to sew on the back of the diapers. KAMsnaps.com offer snaps at a much cheaper price but if you are only making a few these snaps are great. I would also buy the Velcro by the yard instead of in the small, individual diaper packages Babyville Boutique sells.

Overall, I am very happy they have made this easily available to the public. If you buy all your products from the Babyville section you're looking at spending about $10 per diaper. If you buy the snaps, Velcro, FOE by the yard or online your looking a spending closer to $5 per diaper.

 Either way you are saving money. The average price to purchase a diaper is about $17.

My cousin and I are both pregnant right now. We are trying to get all of our diaper stuff ready. With the help of my aunt we spent nine 12 hour days making:

• 49 Babyville diapers with gussets and adjustable snaps
• 9 small GreenCheeks PP diapers
• 28 nursing pads
• 30 wipes
• 1 nursing cover
• 2 wet bags
• 3 pail liners

 Here is a photo of one of the Babyville diapers we made. It's a medium pattern with two rows of snaps to make the size adjustable.

Cloth Diaper Liners: Are they worth it?

I just wanted to do a quick post about diaper liners. When I was pregnant with my daughter the concept of a diaper liner was genius. There are many different brands all claiming to be flushable. I got the GroVia BioLiners. They say:

"GroVia™ BioLiners™ allow moisture to pass through while keeping your baby's skin dry. Easy to use, they keep solids contained for easy clean-up. Simply remove the liner and flush."

All the brands look and work pretty much the same way.  So I thought these would save me a lot of time and mess but in truth it did not. Most of time when I had the liner in the diaper it would bunch up and then diaper would still get dirty and I was still cleaning the diapers off. I felt like I was wasting my money. But I did like the flushable aspect until my toilet backed up from all of the liners I had flushed. Evidently, they do not dissovle as well as toilet paper.

So, I did a little experiment. I put a liner in the washer for 3 cycles. You read correctly. 3! This is what was left.

I think my washing maching is a little more forceful than my plumbing. This should have dissovled if it were truly flushable. Toilet paper would never come out of three wash cycles looking like this.

The end result: Diaper liners are not as convenient as they may seem and if you care about your plumbing at all don't flush them! These may work for some people out there but for me it was just flushing my money down the toilet and then watching it get clogged.

Getting Started: What you need to be a cloth diapering parent

It's no lie, getting started cloth diapering is the most difficult (and expensive) part especially when you are not familiar with the cloth diapering world. Below I made a list of what I think a parent needs to start their baby on cloth diapers. Below the list are explanations regarding some of the items in the list.

The Cloth Diaper Getting Started List

• 12-24 Cloth diapers per child
• 20-30 Cloth wipes
• 2-6 extra inserts
• 1-2 Med or Large Wet bag(s)
• 1-2 Pail liner(s)
• Pail (I just use a trash can with no lid)
• Items for wipe solution (baby soap, sweet oil, and essential oils)
• Spray bottle for wipe solution 
• Baby Booty Balm or the Magic Stick if you don't want to make your own 2oz stick for the changing table and a 1oz stick for the diaper bag
• Laundry detergent that is cloth diaper safe. My personal favorite is Norwex Ultra Power Plus Laundry Detergent.
• Diaper Sprayer (This link will take you to how to make one yourself. Click here for one to purchase.
• Laundry drying rack (optional)

• I also recommend 5-10 set of nursing pads for breast feeding moms.

How Many Cloth Diapers and Wipes do I Need?

How many cloth diapers you need depends on how often you want to wash them and how long it takes for them to wash and dry. A newborn baby goes through about 8-12 diapers a day and toddlers use around 5-6 a day. Diapers must be washed at least every other day. When I wash my diapers I usually am a bit leisurely about it. I put them in the washer to soak first thing in the morning on the third day. Then after they wash and double rinse I put them on the line to dry. Often I leave them on the line sometime longer than they need to dry so they can sun bleach. In the evening I take them off the line and stuff them with inserts before putting them away. I need at least 3 days worth of diapers to compensate for washing every other day and my long wash/dry cycle. The same goes for wipes.

What Kind of Cloth Diapers Should I Get?

There are a lot of different types of diapers out there. To save time I'm only going to talk about the two main types of cloth diapers: One Size and Fitted. It doesn't really matter if you choose to do prefolds, pocket or no pocket inserts (I really prefer the pocket diapers though) the outside shell will tend to be One Size or Fitted note . The great thing about Fitted diapers is that it tends to be a much better fit for small babies which means less bulk in the behind and, with some brands, less leaks. Another positive note is that because these diapers are worn less they can usually be saved for another baby or exchanged for a different size at a used diaper swap. They usually come with inserts already so there is no additional cost there. (I do recommend buying a few extra inserts for double stuffing at night or when your inserts aren't dry yet but the diapers are and you need a diaper.) The down side to the Fitted diapers is you will need to buy a whole new set when the baby out grows the size.

The One Size (my absolute favorite is the Rumparooz One Size with double gussets) diapers can be adjusted from small to med or large (or even extra large). You can have the same set of diapers from birth (8lbs) to potty training (less than 40lbs). They come with inserts as well and have good leak protection no matter the size of the baby (8-40lbs). They do tend to be a bit bulky on babies 0-3 months. Their lifespan is about 2 years of daily use so this would not be a diaper you could save for other babies down the road. They run a few dollars more than the Fitted diaper.

Note: Fitted Diaper Covers and One-Size Diaper Covers are meant to be used with prefolds or inserts that can be directly against the babies bottom (i.e. the gdiaper). The difference between the pocket diaper and the cover-prefold/insert method is you will need to buy your prefolds/insert separately. I am not a fan of prefolds and only use them if it is my last option. Putting on a prefold doubles changing time. It is nice to be able to switch out the prefold/insert a few times without changing the cover. Diaper Covers run a few dollars cheaper than other diapers and overall is the cheaper, but less convenient, option.

If you are new to cloth diapering and you don't know your favorite I recommend getting a few of each kind of diaper so you'll have experience with each and know if the future which you prefer. The number of diapers you get is based on your wash cycle preference.

Why Do I Need 2 Pail Liners and Wet Bags?

They will need to be washed and when they are being washed what are you going to use? Going somewhere without a wet bag can result in a very messy situation. And no one wants to scrub poo out of the bottom of a pail every other day. You really only need 1 of each but it is so much more convenient to have 2.

What Essential Oils Do I Need for My Wipe Solution?

I personally recommend Lavender, Tea Tree (Melalueca), Rosemary and Geranium. This specific blend of essential oils are meant to help with diaper rash and sooth the skin. At the very least I recommend lavender. Visit www.everythingessential.me for more information on essential oils.

Why Do I Need a Diaper Sprayer?

A diaper sprayer is basically a kitchen sink sprayer hooked to your toilet. You can put one together yourself with a kitchen sprayer or buy one preassembled. You need one because sometimes you can't get all of that poop into the toilet before washing without getting down and dirty. There are a lot of people that do cloth diapers without a sprayer and have no complaints. I am not one of those people. A diaper sprayer is very convenient and I'm all about making cloth diapering as easy as possible. Babies that are strictly breast fed do not need their messy diapers sprayed. Breast milk poop dissolves and can go through the washer. As babies get older their "messes" tend to have more form and can be dropped into the toilet. (Am I really blogging about this?) It is the times that it is not formed that you will be so thankful for a diaper sprayer.

 If you have any questions about Getting Started or anything in the post please send me an e-mail or leave a comment. You can also follow the links above to other posts about the products.

PUL Design Flaw: What I made with the fabric

A few months ago I bought several yards of different printed PUL fabric only to discover the PUL was on the front side of the fabric instead of the back meaning the back of the fabric would be showing when I made diapers and it was not nearly as pretty. Click here to see the original post for a better explanation and pictures.

So what did I do with 5 yards of fabric? Tons of stuff! I took pictures of some of the stuff but I forgot to with quite a few of my wet bags, diapers and pail liners. There was an awesome tie-dye pail liner I would have loved to show you all but, sadly, I remembered to take a picture after I'd sold it. Below are the pictures of some of what I made.



Jungle Print Changing Pad 1




Jungle Print Changing Pad 2



Jungle Print Changing Pad 3

Polka Dot/Green Changing Pad 1

Polka Dot/Green Changing Pad 2

Monkey Print Med Wet Bag. Isn't it cute!

Monkey Print and Camo OS diapers

Polka Dot XS diaper

Laundry Rack for Drying Diapers

It has been so long since I posted! I've had a few drafts going but could never find the time to finish one and post it. I hope this one makes it today.

There has been a lot going on in the past few months but for now I'll do a post that's short and sweet.

I dislike drying my diapers in the dryer. It cuts the life of my diapers down to nearly half even on low heat. This includes many different brands that I have tried. (There will be a post on this coming soon. I have some pictures of diapers I have only air dried and diapers I have put in the dryer. After a few months the difference is substantial.) My personal favorite way to dry diapers is outside on the clothes line. They aren't damaged by the excessive heat of the dryer and the sun helps bleach away the stains and lingering stink. But we can't line dry our diapers all the time. Some people are not able to line due to living conditions and such. And often times the weather does not permit. But there is an alternative to the dryer in times such as these.

A laundry rack.


I'm drying some diapers and a wet bag on my laundry rack.

I know laundry racks aren't a new thing but it never occurred to me to use one until a friend I made some diapers for told me this is how she dried her diapers. Since then, if the weather does not permit line drying, my diapers are on the rack. I still will put my inserts and wipes in the dryer in these circumstances but anything with PUL goes on the rack.

In the winter I even put the laundry rack by my sliding glass door when its sunny. My thought is that maybe it will help. I'm not positive how effective this is but I do think it makes some difference for stains. (Not equivalent to outdoor line drying though.)

The diapers don't take too horribly long to dry either. In only a few hours they are ready to fold with the exception of AIO diapers which take forever to dry no matter what method you use.

Laundry racks are pretty cheap too. They run close to $20 for one similar to the pictures below. I really think it's a good investment and helps lengthen the life of the diapers compared to drying them in a heated dryer.

I checked out 3 locations with laundry racks:

Bed Bath and Beyond laundry rack. This is the one I got.

WalMart laundry rack



Target laundry rack





Sun Bleaching Diapers and Inserts for Stains and Stink

One reason that I chose to make my GreenCheeks inserts 100% cotton is from my experience with microfiber. I have dozens of microfiber inserts and while they are slightly more absorbent that cotton they have a tendency to hold odor. There were many times when I would change my little one's morning diaper and the ammonia smell would sting my eyes. I would wash and wash and wash the inserts yet I could not get the odor to dissipate.

It wasn't until I sun bleached all my diapers that I realized it got rid of stains and the horrible smell too!

These are all the diapers and inserts sun bleaching. I couldn't find my tarp so I used and old blanket and then weighed it down with a cement block so the wind wouldn't take it away.

GreenCheeks AIO diaper AFTER

GreenCheeks AIO diaper BEFORE

So why sun bleach diapers and inserts? As a cloth diapering parent the less cleaning product I use on my diapers the better. The diapers last longer, its better for the environment and better for baby's skin without all those cleaners still in the fabric.

A Flip diaper insert BEFORE

A Flip diaper insert AFTER sun bleaching

How do you sun bleach diapers and inserts? This is the best part! It's so easy. All you do is after a wash lay your diapers and inserts (still damp) flat in the sun. I let my diapers sit outside for the majority of the daylight on a tarp (anywhere from 6-12 hours depending on the time of year). The longer they sit in the sun the better they'll look. If it was raining while my diapers and inserts were "tanning" I run them through an extra rinse cycle before letting them dry.

A Bum Genius 3.0 OS diaper insert

 BEFORE

A Bum Genius 3.0 OS diaper insert AFTER

Can you still sun bleach your diapers when it is overcast? Of course it doesn't have to be sunny! It can be overcast or even RAINING! The UV light still penetrates through the clouds and bleaches the diapers for stink and stains. The pictures I have posted were after sunbleaching on a rainy day. It does seem to bleach the diapers better the more the sun shining though as more UV light can reach the diapers.

A 100% cotton large insert BEFORE

A 100% cotton insert AFTER

How often do you sun bleach? As often as you need too. Unlike chemical bleach and cleaners, sunbleach is a natural and safe way get rid of stains and stink. I have a customer who had a lot of issues with smelly inserts and sunbleached the inserts after every wash for a few hours. It worked great for her. 

A Bum Genius AIO OS Organic diaper BEFORE

A Bum Genius AIO OS organic diaper AFTER

Changing BumGenius 3.0 from Velcro to Snaps

Before my daughter was born I spent a small fortune on cloth diapers in many different brands and styles. It has been over a year and all of my diapers have been worn and washed hundreds of times and now, as is expected, they are showing a bit of wear and tear.

The Bum Genius 3.0 diapers have especially shown a lot of wear. The Velcro hook tabs are beginning to roll and the loop strip has begun to fray and pill so bad nothing will stick to it unless you used glue.

I have heard other parents who use the Bum Genius 3.0 diapers complaining about similar problems. Recently, Cotton Babies sells a Bum Genius refresher kit which includes 2 pieces of legs elastic, 1 piece of back elastic, 2 laundry tabs, and 2 tab closures for $1.00. Plus, it includes sewing instructions. And you can easily replace the hook strip. It is a 9.5in long piece of loop Velcro 1.5in wide. You can purchase it by clicking here or visit your local fabric and craft store.

Another option is to replace the Velcro all together with snaps. Snaps last a lot longer than Velcro and are not very expensive. Usually, you can't get plastic snaps at local craft stores and you also need snap pliers or a snap press to apply plastic snaps.




This is before. You can see how worn the loop Velcro is.




This is after I removed the Velcro and added snaps.
Yes, it is a different diaper but I ran out of clean diapers
 and needed the white one.
I had already finished that one and forgot to take a photo.
But you can see how much nicer the snaps look.

 I got my snaps and pliers/press at KAMsnaps. They have everything you'll need to use snaps. You'll need 24 caps, 4 studs, 20 sockets in size 20 snaps for your diapers (I would have a few spare just in case), an awl, and snap pliers (or press).

1. Remove the old Velcro tabs and strip with a seam ripper being careful not to tear the fabric. (I also removed the laundry tabs but you do not have to.)
2. Put the diaper in the dryer on high heat for about 10 minutes. This helps to seal all the little holes from the Velcro thread.
3. Mark the spots wear you will put each snap with a fabric pen. There will be 2 rows of 10 snaps each. There must be an inch space between each snap and between the rows. 2 snaps will also be on the tabs and need to be close the the edge of the tabs an inch apart.
4. Place a piece of card board inside the diaper's pocket to prevent the awl from puncturing the liner.
5. Puncture the fabric where you marked with the awl so there is a defined hole.
6. On the front of the diaper place a cap on the inside of the fabric and a socket on the outside. Insert the cap prong through the hole you created with the awl and place the socket on top. Use the pliers to press the snap together. Repeat for all 20 holes. Use a caps and studs for the tabs.
7. Snap the snaps together to make sure they fit together. You should hear (you got it) a snapping sound when the snaps are correctly put on. Refer to KAMsnaps tutorial videos if you need further instruction.