Why my Christmas presents will be late...

My Christmas gifts are going to be late this year. I mean the 2013 gifts. My family pushed back the gift giving until our visit in February. Sounded like plenty of time, even for the make-it-all-from-scratcher's. I was feeling confident. Until the new car seat arrived.

We need to bump everyone up in the car seat department. For sizing purposes. Gwennan and Carrick both sit above the highest belt position. Afton's current car seat is a Britax - it could comfortably hold a 15 year old. Nevertheless, everyone is moving up.

The giant amazon box arrives with the new booster seat. Bright pink with 2 cup/treasure/discarded hair bow holders. Every little girls dream seat. And did I mention that she gets to use the grown up seat belt?

And what do we have to offer Afton?

The two year old cosco with its stained, crumby seat and faded flowers. She didn't seem to mind, but Daddy and I felt sorry for the Hand-me-down Kid.

Afton and I made a trip through the scrap bag. Lo and behold, we found her "favorite, most beautiful fabric I ever wanted."

Minky dot.

Yeah, I was curse smiling.

Reasons to use minky dot on a car seat cover:

1. Your three year old has a fit of trembling joy over soft and pink and polka dot

2. It's super stain resistant

3. It's synthetic, so it should withstand the test of wiggling, squirming three year old bum

Reasons never to use minky dot for anything. Ever!

1. It stretches unpredictably making is hard to cut, hard to iron, hard to pin, hard to sew, etc...

2. It melts onto your iron in a stinky pink goo if you're two clicks too hot

3. The dots flatten under your sewing machine foot so that the pieces you sized and cut is not the same piece you actually sew down.

Reason 1 under the pro's is really all that matters. At any rate, one of two things will happen: this project will come out great, producing an ecstatic three year old, or I'll throw it down I frustration and start over. And I'll have a still ecstatic three year old. Fortunately, A is a generally grateful soul.

And if you're waiting for your Christmas presents... You might get to wait a little longer.

Happy Momma'ing!!

Katie

A sewing note - This project is for an intermediate, confident seamstress {aka, top of my abilities}, since you have to tear apart the existing car seat cover, making your seat useless until you finish. Have a back up seat or nowhere pressing to go. If anyone is interested, here's the tutorial I found most helpful. This tutorial is for an infant seat cover, but the same method works for any seat cover. If recovering a booster, you will need a small piece of foam rubber for the seat cushion. I used an old camping mat.

An immediate update {I started the project and post a few days ago} - The car seat cover was a success. Afton was thrilled with her soft pink seat. Everything lined up as it should. I would definitely do this again.

Little Man round-up

Some people are not DIY'ers. I get it. And some people simply don't like sewing. I get that too. I didn't sew a single thing for Gwennan's nursery. I lacked confidence and skill. Instead I very happily painted a bookshelf and dresser, and passed off sewing projects to willing friends or relations. Sewing just wasn't my thing.

This pregnancy I'm sewing everything I can think of. This pregnancy it is my thing.

If you don't sew, I don't want to offer a guilt-producing post where I point out how easy it is to make everything you just registered for. If you don't sew, making a crib sheet isn't easy; it's a nightmare. The first set of crib skirts I made took me 6 or 7 hours, and all I could see were flaws. The most fun part was sweeping up and finishing.

But if you enjoy sewing, I want to share the excitement and the results of scanning so many tutorials. I don't feel the need to re-write the instructions that are available, but I thought I'd pass along what I found.

A nursery round up of sorts. A no obligation peek or inspiration and instruction.

1. Pacifier clips at I'mSimplyMe

2. Squared-off crib skirt {more suited to a little man perhaps} at VanillaJoy

3. Fitted crib sheets {without a serger} from Sew4Home

4. Aden and Anais style swaddling blankets from ThisLittleMiggyStayedHome {a note - you do not need a serger if you have an overcasting foot for your machine. Not sure what that is? Check your owner's manual.}

5. Nursing Cover from PrudentBaby

That about does it for Little Man's layette. When I opened the shopping bag after my last trip to JoAnn, Tim's eyes widened with that, 'haven't you ever heard of Target??' look. As of this morning, I only have 2 yards of fabric left. Then I'll be scratching my head for new ideas to stay still and busy for the next 6 weeks.

My apologies {or excuses}

I'm bored with my own thoughts recently.

Does anyone else get that way?

Re-reading Anne of Green Gables, and all I want to do is shut myself up in an old attic with a writing desk in front of a bright window and write about girlhood and sisters and so many romantic notions that I hold dear.

Seeing as I have no character of my own, just a conglomeration of all my favorites {Jo March, Jane Eyre, Anne Elliot}, I'm losing myself in Anne Shirley's provincial life.

That and my sewing machine.

News bulletin: I got a new sewing machine!
I can't remember if I bemoaned my broken sewing machine when it first started to go {while I was quilting a gift for a baby being delivered the next morning}. DH slaved over it for hours and restored it for one more use. Only to have it break again mid-project {due that evening - must stop procrastinating tomorrow}. I was done fighting with that machine. Hubby could see it in my eyes.

My old machine for its temperamental nature, had sentimental value. It was DH's gift to me when big one was born, a 'push present.' At that time, I only sewed at Christmas when I felt compelled to make homemade gifts using my grandmother's original 1930's Singer. A beautiful, tiny powerhouse with a perfect straight stitch. Perfect because it could do nothing else. I made a tragically home-ec Christmas skirt that my dear sister still wraps around her tree every year - I love her for that.

Maybe it was the 40 stitches or my new identity as a SAHM, but I sewed the stuffing out of that welcome-to-maternity machine. Sewed through tension nightmares. Sewed through layer after layer of thick fleece and flannel. Sewed my first dress and my first free motion quilt. Until the machine cried, 'uncle,' seized up, and died.

{Did I mention I got a new sewing machine??}

I spent days hours reading reviews, consulting more experienced seamstresses {everyone has a different, equally valid opinion} trying to spend my very respectable budget wisely. Between sewing machines and baby names, I cringed at the computer screen. Until I made my decision {in case you are curious - the Brother PC-420 PRW}.

Then I couldn't be bothered with the computer screen because I have a brand new LED screen on my brand new sewing machine with 200 stitches {!!}. Which is of course why I'm working on my most monotonous project since diapers - fabric banners for the nursery.

Despite the excitement over the new machine and the escape into a good book, this week has been a trial. My girls are whirling through the house leaving the damage path of a tornado.

A glimpse into the tumultuous routine at the renaissance house: Just this morning, the girl wonders took apart their princess tent and used the poles to knock all the 'no touches' off of their dresser. Momma's not up for much these days, certainly not cleaning up raging messes. I've resorted to competition and prizes {a third 'third trimester' is ruining my parenting ideals} - the best cleaner gets to choose the before lunch movie. The first day, Gwennan thought she would strong arm influence her sister into the movie of her choice. Afton raced from toy to bin and proudly announced that we would be watching The Lion King, again. Since then Gwennan has cleaned with a desperate frenzy to ensure that we get to watch a princess movie.

After reading this, you may be bored with my thoughts this week, too. I don't blame you {and I did warn you}. Some weeks are just unliterary. I guess that's my excuse and apology. My brain is fogged by screaming kids, hormones, and nursery decor. While my brain clears, might I suggest re-reading a childhood favorite? I hear Anne of Green Gables is pretty good.

Does sateen need glitter??

The strangest things become mile markers. An unexpected picture of how time is passing. I found one at the fabric store.

Small one was pressing a bolt of fabric to her cheek screaming, Pink! while big one leaned out of the cart, pointing at the aisle of tulle, saying, Our dresses need the golden sparkles too.

Six yards of pink and purple glitter sateen and gold glitter tulle. An alternate universe.

A year ago they wore crocheted hats and eye liner to black their noses on Halloween. Everybody awww-ed over our baby bear and lamb. And the girls were clueless.

Now they are princesses. At their request. With the fabric of their choosing. They even played happily outside for two hours so that I could sew. Small one hugged the finished dress to her chest while her feet pranced in delight.

I don't know how you feel about Halloween. Whether you only dress up as Bible characters and attend church-sponsored events, or paint the whole family as Zombies and groan around your neighborhood. I haven't made up my mind. The day is made extra complicated at our house because we can't eat half the candy. And it's big one's birthday.

The girls don't care what the day is. They just want to wear princess dresses. To church. To the playground. To Trader Joe's. With rain boots. Whatever. Any excuse to dresses head to toe in pink glitter.

A couple project-y thoughts

DH likes to remind me that I have absurd focus, namely that I obsess about something and let everything else slide. I have a couple big focus drawing projects right now, so I don't have a long cohesive post this week today. Instead I thought I'd combine mini thoughts.

First, a gardening question: Do you remove suckers from tomato plants?

{Not sure what I'm referring to? Here's a picture. P.S. You're probably in the "don't bother" category.}

Last year, I pruned religiously. I turned those vines into tomato trees and saw fruit within weeks of planting. But that was it. I got half a dozen 3" tomatoes, then they were done.

This year, I left my plants alone, suckers intact. They took twice as long to produce fruit, but that fruit is huge, 6 inches or more. Too many biology classes taught me that more leaves means more photosynthesis means more energy to pack into fruit, but what do I know.
So I ask, do you prune your tomato plants, or do you leave them alone? And with what results? Hardly a life altering question, but I'm still curious for your response.

I should mention that all my plants are heirloom varieties. Might make a difference.


Next, an excuse for not posting regularly/update on crafty doings around the house:

I mentioned my newest quilt the other day. Here's a preview:

I call this my "newest quilt" like I quilt so often. Let me be more specific: my most recent, which happens to be my second ever, all on my own, no sis or mom to help me out quilt. The first was a simple 9" block pattern which I quilted with a 'stitch in the ditch' technique. Not advanced, but much loved by big one.

This quilt is still not advanced technique by quilters' standards, but I feel like I stepped up my game with more piecing and free motion quilting {still to be attempted - we'll see how that bridge crossing goes}.

This is where my focus and free time is going. Subsequently, my writing is sloppy {never mind my house and cooking}. Thanks for your patience. I should be finished, well, sometime in the near distant future.

Another P.S.: Sorry for the hoaky Instagram borders. The Canon felt like too much work this morning.

Hemming Rectangles

Rental houses are a beautiful thing. My previous experience with renting, a dorm room, came with a delightful lady Martha. She cleaned my bathroom every week. I miss her.

As a couple, we're buyers, project hunters. Our first condo had no toilet; our first house seeped cat pee. Trend? But here we are, Mellon St., renting. Hot water heater blows? Call the landlord (true story). Our real lesson in this house: live with it. We don't live with anything. We pull up every scrap of vinyl flooring, yank out every dated light fixture, paint every. single! wall. Now in a rental, I'm learning to work around the existing. For instance, our kitchen floor is red and white checkerboard. Bold statement. The walls are light blue, and I'm forbidden paint. Fine IKEA-esque pallet, but not one I would pick. I've largely ignored it, but we've been here a year with no plans to leave. Time to integrate.

Exhibit A: red checked floor

Stuffed Animal Storage

Little girls and their stuffed animal, it's a beautiful relationship. Just this morning, all of Gwenny's animals had "sick bellies," and she had to feed them apples and put them to bed. Her room looked like a stuffed animal refugee camp with bears and monkeys and a zebra lying face down covered by play silks.

I love watching my girls practice their nurturing skills on "Monkey" and "ZeeBee" and "G-aff" (notice a theme in these names). Storing all these precious friends is a challenge. They were sitting on top of a bookshelf until I came upstairs to find Gwennan climbing unsteady shelves to reach her bear. That could not continue.

Sew Tutorial - Toddler Pants

Looking back through the last few week's worth of posts, I realized I've neglected the crafty side of my blog. Poor A Grey is having some acid reflux problems which are impeding my creative process. But today, I found the pictures for this tutorial, so I thought I'd share.

In preparation for potty training boot camp, I sewed pants for Gwenny out of an abandoned wool shirt of Tim's. If you can find an 100% wool shirt at a thrift store (especially if it's Smartwool), by all means, use that to make wonderful moisture wicking pants that can be used to contain accidents during potty training (retail between $40 and $70). By washing the wool sweater in hot water and machine drying, it will felt - perfect for overnight protection.

If wool shirts are scarce, this also works with jersey/interlock/abandoned t-shirts. I realize that little girl pants only cost about $4 on sale at Target, but they cost about $0.10 to make out of an old t-shirt or $1 out of a cute patterned interlock. Having control over the fit is especially helpful for me as Gwenny has the Ellis "big booty with short legs" build which is only compounded by the cloth diaper.

So, here it goes... Toddler Pants Tutorial

You will need:

1 old wool sweater or 1 t shirt (can get two pairs out of a large) or a 1/3 yard of stretch fabric (jersey, interlock)

18" of 1/4" baby elastic

Coordinating thread

Sewing machine with zig zag stitch

The easiest way to start is to take a pair of pants that already fits and use it to create your pattern. However, you can look at the picture below for the basic shape if you're brave.

Stretchy pants are made out of 4 pieces of fabric: left front, right front (mirror images) and left rear, right rear (mirror images). The only difference between the front and rear pieces is the measurement from the inseam (crotch) to the waist band along the center seam. The rear pieces are taller to accommodate booty and diaper.

Here is the basic shape, shown on top of the pants, so you can see how it lays:

After you have traced the general shape front and back (don't worry about left and right - we'll take care of that in the next step), you will need to add in your seam allowances. On the side- and in-seams, a 1/2" will do (none of these materials fray, so you will not need to use french seams but you could serge). For the cuff, add 1". At the waist, add 1 1/2" to accommodate the elastic band.  Also, if you want to size up, add a 1/2" to all edges per size increase. This is also the time to adjust to your child's build (i.e. I made the center seam in the back a little longer and left the legs a little shorter for G; exact opposite for long and lean Baby A).

Fold the fabric in half (a t-shirt/sweater is already folded). Lay out the pieces as shown. 

You will cut through both layers of fabric, creating 2 sets of mirror images (left and right) for a total of 4 pieces.

Here comes the sewing (about 30 minutes worth):

Pin and sew the front pieces together along the center seam, wrong side (WS) to WS. This will create one piece of fabric for the front of the pants.

Do the same with the rear pieces.

Iron the seams flat.

Pin and sew the two inseams together WS to WS taking care that the center seams of both pieces are lined up.

Pin and sew the outside seams together on both leg pieces. Your pants should be taking shape now.

Hem the legs by rolling the cuffs 1/2" then ironing. Repeat the 1/2" roll. Iron again and sew around the cuff.

For the waist band, roll waist band 1/2". Iron and sew with a zig zag stitch. Fold again 1". Iron and sew  using a zig zag stitch. Leave a 1/2" gap to insert your elastic band.

Insert elastic into waistband (if you've never done this, attach a safety pin at one end of the elastic, push it through the fabric channel and inch it along until you've pushed it all the way through). Adjust the length to cinch the waist slightly (you're just removing any gaps, not holding up the pants). Tack down the elastic with a close zig zag stitch on both ends. Then finish the waist band by sewing the 1/2" opening closed.

Turn right side out and iron. They're ready for a crawl around the nursery floor.

Playing outside in her pink pants

P.S. You can use the same technique to create yoga pants for Mommy too. Check out this tutorial to see how.

Crib Skirts

Our girls are officially roomies now. We found a crib for Afton and moved her in last week. For some reason, the move triggered a mini nesting streak in me. I wanted crib skirts. Not sure why I had to have them now. Gwenny has gone a year without one. Now that we have two cribs, their naked undercarriages just would not do.

So, I pulled out the Brother, dug through my fabric stash and came up with all the needed materials for this crib skirt (why reinvent the tutorial when Star wrote such a lovely one already). I spent all Friday and Saturday evenings hunched over the sewing machine (hence the burning along my shoulder blades today), but the skirts were so worth it.

Side by side cribs - I love having Irish twins.

Seeing them sleeping next to each other makes my whole body smile. I know their concept of "sister" is pretty immature now, but this is just the beginning of great things to come!

A close up of the new crib skirts
The peek-through effect is so nice on this pattern.

I chose this fabric to tone down the "babyish" feel of a nursery. It doesn't have to be all pastels.

For the rest of the room:

Tim found this amazing antique dresser when he found our new desk. All it needed was a little wood conditioner.

The tea party table - more to come on this ReStyle It project 

Found this at World Market. They are so cute and match the room perfectly. Gwenny loves to ring the bells at the end.

In the same World Market line - an elephant fan pull. We're constantly lifting G up to play with the hanging pachyderms.

I heard somewhere that any project boils down to three aspects: time, scope and money. You can only be deficient in one area. When it comes to our house, my decorating schemes encompass a lot of scope but we have a small budget. That necessitates that I take my time, collect pieces slowly, make items when I can, etc... until I meet my vision. The girls' room took a step forward this week. I'm itching to continue improving our home, making life more comfortable and hospitality easier.

Hootie the Hottie

As promised...

Afton's Owl Heater - "Hootie"

I realize that description wants an explanation. Hootie is actually a pouch that holds a rice bag as seen below:

Hootie next to his contoured rice pack insert

A little history... Sarah (my super talented youngest sister, not to be confused with my super talented middle sister) made rice-filled heat packs for her friends this year, including me. Within days of receiving mine, Afton claimed it as her own. If her feet are anything less than toasty warm, Baby A screams as though frost bite were imminent. When we were staying at my parents over Christmas, the only way she slept was cuddled next to my Christmas present hot rice pack. 

All that to say, I wanted my rice pack back. Sarah made it for me for a reason. My back is killing me from hauling babies around all day. So, I proposed a trade to Afton. A custom-made, super cute rice pack for her if she'd relinquish mine.

Afton's pack had a few challenges:

Velcro at the base holds the rice pack in place
and provides easy access for heating

1. She urps on everything. I need to be able to wash it. Rice doesn't hold up well in the washer, so her pack needed a cover.

2. Fabric takes up the smells in the microwave. If the rice pack is removable, the fabric next to Afton might not pick up the smell of reheated leftovers. At least, that's the idea.

3. This would probably become her "must-have" to sleep with. In the future, it would be nice if it were cute. When she no longer needs the rice, I'll stuff it and close up the bottom.

Why the owl? I'm on an owl kick. I don't know. That's probably why I can't come up with a cuter name than "Hootie." He really doesn't mesh with the rice pack/heater theme. Oh well.

The next step: mass production because I know you all want one for the cold-natured babies in your life. :)

Baby A snuggling with Hootie, grateful for the warm toes

Silk Placemats

Good morning! I have a totally quiet house right now. DH is off at camp. Baby G stayed up way late with the babysitter last night and is down for the count now. Perfect time to plan out my week and post my newest sewing tutorial. Yay!

I've been stitching like a mad women recently, but no projects that would post well. For instance, do you want to read about the 15 cloth diapers I've sewn?! Probably not. This weekend was different.

If you got married, say last night, then skip this post until you've opened your gifts. Otherwise... I needed a wedding gift for a neat couple who've traveled, particularly in southeast Asia. I wanted to make something Asian inspired but not shamelessly copied. I settled on silk placemats.

The placemats were fun from beginning to end. I got to buy bright colored fabric; I didn't have to use any funky stitching; as an added bonus, my sewing machine tension behaved itself. And the result was a gift I could be proud to put our name on.

How to Sew a Placemat:

Note - This tutorial is specific to working with a light weight fabric such as silk. If you want to use a heavier fabric, like broadcloth, I would follow this tutorial at SewMamaSew.

1. Start with a trip to the fabric store (yay!). To make 4 placemats at 14"x17", I bought 3/4 yard of backing and single-sided fusible webbing and 1/4 yard of each of the front panel fabrics (3 total fabrics for 3/4 yard total). Also, you will need double fold bias tape and corresponding thread.

2. Cut the pieces for your front panel. Before you cut, decide how big you want the placemat. As I said, these were 14"x17" which will comfortably house a large dinner plate. The front panel can be as complicated or simple as you like. Regardless, consider your seam allowance when you calculate the front pieces. In this case, I had two seams at 1/2" per piece of fabric for a total of 2" seam allowance. The center strip was 7"x17", the thin strip was 3.5"x17", and the wider top strip was 5.5"x17".

3. Piece and sew your front panel. You can skip this step if you chose a solid piece for the front. To piece, simply pin the fabric right side to right side and sew a straight seam along the pinned edge at your designated seam allowance.

4. Iron the pieced seams. The seams must lay flat, otherwise you will have odd ridges in your placemat.

5. Cut and iron fusible webbing. The webbing gives the placemats structure without adding a lot of bulk. The webbing should wrinkle slightly when it's warm enough to bond. If the webbing isn't sticking, turn up the heat on the iron.

6. Trim the placemat. With the webbing in place, straight cuts become much easier. This is the time to square things up and ensure that all of your front pieces reach the edge of the placemat.

7. Attach backing and and bias. Pin the backing on first. At this point, you can trim the backing to ensure a good fit with the front of the placemat. Then pin the double fold bias tap around the outside edge, making sure to fold and pin the corners as you go. When sewing, use a straight stitch positioned as close to the inside edge of the bias tape as possible. This will ensure that you get a big bite of all three layers of fabric and that your bias tape doesn't fold up or roll later.

Ta Da. You're done. 

I really enjoyed making these. Throughout the process, I kept thinking about what I wanted to do when I made some for us. I think I have a pretty cute idea coming up. Can't wait to show you. In the mean time, try sewing some silk placemats. They can really spruce up your table setting or make an excellent shower/wedding present.

New Dress

This weekend, I'm attending a wedding. It's the kind of wedding I really look forward to: family I love, sweet bride, I'm not part of the bridal party/family. Best of all, they're a Godly couple, so the imagery of Christ and the church really stands out.

While I'm excited to go, I had one major hiccup. It's been over a year since any of my formal clothes fit. I have one "maternity" dress, and it looks like a sack, an awkward mauve tent. Not exactly the statement I want to make at this beautiful evening wedding.

After a vision of sixteen outfit changes only to give up and where jeans, I started looking for something new. I found this dress. It's beautiful, sexy, slimming - everything a maternity dress should be. Did you check the price? Yeah, a hundred dollars. I think Tim could take me to small claims court if I spent that on a dress right now. After all, we have a new baby to pay for.

So, I did what any crafty momma does when she can't buy the dress she wants. I headed to the store for fabric to make my version of the dress. To hide pregnant awkwardness and cope with summer heat, I picked a rayon/lycra blend. Unable to find a pattern, I drew out a ridiculous sketch, scrutinized a couple dresses in my closet and started cutting.

To be honest, I surprised myself. The dress is a faux wrap (I don't need G untying my dress) accented with cap sleeves and a ruffled neck line. The belt actually ties at the side. The hanger is lame, I know. I promise to take a picture when I wear it Saturday. Also, I will try to make a digital pattern available.

Trying this dress on, I felt prettier than I have in months. Now, I really can't wait for this wedding.

Quirky Pillows

I love pillows that resemble stuffed animals. Hence my desire to make the plush owl pillows that I mention on My Craft Ideas page. I know that sounds very specific, but check out the examples:

Top Right: I can't wait to make these from the pattern available from Blissfully Domestic. I'm thinking the crazier the fabric, the more interesting these owls will look. While Tim doesn't care for my other bird project idea, I think he likes these.

Bottom Left: Stuffed monster pillow from A Little Gray blog - BTW that fabric looks hand dyed. She sells them through her etsy shop.

For those of you looking for a more simple pillow idea, I'd try embellishing as seen here. Ottobre Design has great patterns.

Ribbon Pacifier Holders

As you might imagine, I like cutesy, crafty baby stuff. Recently, I've been admiring the super cute pacifier holders that are made with ribbon. Just looking at them, you can tell that they're not complicated. So, I set about making one the other day. This is a wonderful "no sew" sewing project.

Supply List:

1/2 - 1" width Ribbon - whatever floats your boat, but they will look better if the ribbon is double-sided

Velcro

Needle/Thread or Permanent Fabric Glue or Hot Glue

Suspender or Mitten Clips or diaper pins (I happened to have extra diaper pins, but I like the clips better)

Directions:

1. Cut a 4 - 6" piece of ribbon.

2. Fold over a 1/4 - 1/2" tab and glue or hand sew. 

3. Lay diaper pin or mitten clip on the ribbon, then fold the ribbon again forming a 1/2" tab that covers the pin or clip. Sew or glue.

4. Fold a 1/4 - 1/2" tab on the other end of the ribbon and sew or glue.

5. Cut a piece of velcro the width of the the ribbon and 1/2" tall. 

6. Sew or glue one side of velcro over the tab on the ribbon. Sew or glue the other side of velcro 1/2" from the first piece. You can then attach a pacifier on the ribbon between the two pieces of velcro.

The finished product:

This turned out to be a life saver on the plane the other week. No more scrambling under chairs to find G's passie when she decides she's sick of it. Also, she enjoyed chewing on the ribbon as much as the actual passie. If you don't have any babies, these make very cute present toppers for baby showers.

Homemade Prefit Diapers

After my last post, I hope I didn't worry anyone by not writing yesterday. I just had a great project that I wanted to work on, then I could post it.

Homemade Prefitted Diapers

The Materials:

My favorite part is the flannel covering. The patterns are so much fun and varied. I found most of it in the remnant bin at Joann's for 50% off. (I make special trips to Joann's just to dig through the remnant bin). The jersey came from leftover t-shirts that the church was going to throw away. All in all, 20+ diapers for around $1.50 each. This project is technically very easy, although it requires some time to cut all of these out (keep in mind, I need about 2 dozen diapers).

The Materials:

I found good, free patterns at Fern and Faerie and at Ottobre Design, although I later decided that the easiest and maybe most accurate thing was to trace the diaper cover, so that the diaper fit exactly into the cover.

Fabric wise: you need 2 pieces of flannel, 2 pieces of jersey, 1 piece of fleece, cut as shown. The flannel and jersey follow the Fern and Faerie pattern, while the fleece panel is more like an insert, that is slightly trimmed to fit around baby's legs. As you can see here, none of the fabric has to match, because you can only see the flannel in the finished product.

Step 1: Sew the fleece panel onto the backside of a flannel piece.

A thing to note about fleece in diapering. If you buy polyester fleece, it doesn't absorb particularly well. Instead, it draws moisture through the fabric. To keep baby dry, you want to position the fleece close to the skin, so it pulls the moisture away. If you splurge for hemp or bamboo fleece, it absorbs moisture, in which case, it should be positioned away from the skin.

At this point, you can add velcro tabs to the flannel pieces. I don't because the diaper cover will hold these in place as will a Snappi.

Step 2: Match one jersey piece to one flannel piece - front sides of the fabric together. Sew just the short top edges together, then turn back sides together and iron. Repeat.

Step 3: Align front and back panels so that the flannels layers are together. Straight Stitch the sides and along back edges, leaving the short front edge open, creating a pocket.

Optional: you can add 3" of 1/2" elastic on either side at the thinnest portion (where baby's legs will be) and along the back edge. My experience is that this is unnecessary.

Step 4: Turn right side out (flannel print should be the only thing showing). Straight Stitch again along the sides and back, making sure to reinforce your stitches by the front opening.

This creates a pocket diaper which can hold an additional soaker for extra absorption (especially at night).

The finished product, folded and ready to go.