When we went up to Brainerd MN on a family vacation last week, I will admit that one of my top priorities was hitting a local quilt shop–Country Fabrics and Quilting.  The girls + Espen went on an afternoon outing to eat and shop.  My sister-in-law, Emily, has started quilting, but had never been to an actual quilt shop–I couldn’t wait to have her see it!!  We had to be sensitive on time since we had non-quilters with us, but I could have totally spent hours there.  Here’s what I snagged in the short time we were there.

A charm pack and some yardage by Aneela Hoey.  Little Apples is her latest with Moda.

Charm packs (small squares of each print in the line of fabric) is a great way for me to go since I have trouble deciding quickly on what fabrics I want from a line.  I can take the charm pack home, decide what I’m going to make, and then if I need yardage of a certain fabric I can call the shop up and have them send it to me.

Another charm pack and some binding yardage from Sweetwater.   Hometown is a great line from Moda.

I also bought home dec weight fabric from Hometown to make another wet bag for Espen’s room.

A wet bag is for all those stinky cloth diapers that are waiting to be washed.  It is lined with PUL so keeps the smell in.  It will hang on the side of Espen’s changing table.

 

I also bought some yardage of solid grays.  Did I mention that I am really into gray?

 

Some more gray things I liked.

That bike is darling!

 

These adorable Japanese prints.

 

 

A cloth diaper pattern,  by Favorite Things, because a new cloth diaper is a treat around here.  And a Terry Atkinson pattern because she does such great patterns, I learn so much from her, and who can’t resist pockets/zippers/organizers.

 

 

Good thing I sell quilting patterns so my spending doesn’t make that much of a dent!  You can find my patterns and sooooooo  many other wonderful patterns at Country Fabrics and Quilting in Brainerd MN.  I can’t recommend the shop enough–make a trip!!

 

 

A friend recently contacted me about swapping some cloth diapers for a few handmade items.  She had cloth diapers that she wasn’t using and wanted to pass along and so instead of paying for them, she asked that I make something for her.  How wonderful is that?!  It was a fabulous idea!  She sent me the diapers a few weeks ago and I finally got my projects in the mail to her.  She asked for either the Noodlehead Clutch or Anna Maria Horner’s Quick Change Trousers for her daughter, June.  (What a sweet name!)  I couldn’t just make one since both are so fun to make and she was generous with the diapers!  So she gets both!  (Terrible pics in this post…it’s called being in a hurry.  Bad excuse.)

First up–the trousers.  I really liked this quirky print.

 

These fabrics seemed girly, without being over the top, and also reminded me of the mama.  I will say that upon looking at the final product, I probably should have used fabrics with a little higher contrast.  It’s amazing how fabrics look so different once you chop them up.

And the reverse option.

 

The Noodlehead Clutch.  Again, I used fabrics I thought the mama would like–I hope she does!

 

 

 

Ever since I started cloth diapering, I wanted to try out a soaker cover.  Soaker covers are knit with 100% wool and are praised for their ability to “breathe” and wick moisture into the cloth insert.  I finally got around to making one for Elias.  I figured if it worked well for him I could whip up a few smaller ones for the new baby.

I used the pattern Curly Purly Soaker.  You can find this FREE pattern HERE. It was pretty easy to knit, although I relied heavily on other feedback from Ravelry users.  (If you are a knitter, you HAVE to be on Ravelry.  It is free and an incredible resource!!!)

 

As our days get hotter, I can really see how the wool is much more breathable than some of the other covers I have.   I also think Elias really enjoyed wearing it around for the first time.  Even though it is 100% wool, it seems pretty soft against his skin.

 

I used one of the inserts I made from Tony’s old t-shirts and a couple pins…eventually I plan to purchase a different fastener instead of the pins.

Another plus to wool soaker covers, is that you don’t have to wash them as often as other covers.  I’ve heard you only have to wash it once every week or two!  The power of sheep!  One of the reasons you use 100% wool is that wool has a natural oil in it called lanolin which helps contain the wetness involved with diapers.  I bought a little bottle of detergent that has extra lanolin added to help the soaker retain that benefit.

 

 

The verdict is still out on the soaker cover, but just thought I would share some of our latest adventures in babyville.

I just added some new equipment in my cloth diapering mission.  Say hello to the diaper sprayer from Bum Genius!  With this new purchase I thought it would be a good time to do a review about my experience with cloth diapers.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cleaning.

Just wet diapers go in this bag that I made, and then go directly into the wash on wash day.  The bag is lined with a non-breathable material so the smell can’t escape.  ”Dirty” diapers get rinsed in the toilet with the help of the diaper sprayer.  Watch out, the sprayer has power!  Rinsed diapers then go into the bag as well to wait for wash day.  (Best to rinse dirty diapers right away.)  I do a load of diapers about every 3-5 days using a natural laundry detergent.  If I need some extra bleaching power, I put them out in the sun to dry–it really does work!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Diapers. I use several different types…it makes it kind of fun.

Fuzzibunz.

Pros:

Great for overnight.

Seem very comfortable for baby.

Very absorbent

One size fits all

Cons:

I have to wash the entire diaper after 1 use

A bit bulky

Leak on occasion

 

 

 

 

Thirsties.

Pros:

Good price ($12ish)

I really like the inserts I make for them.  (I use Tony’s old t-shirts.)

NO leaking

Not as bulky

Can use covers multiple times before washing

Cons:

2 different sizes

Too wet on babies skin for overnight

 

 

Best Bottoms.

Pros:

Not as bulky

Can use overnight

Can use covers multiple times before washing

Inserts easily snap in covers

Cons:

A bit more spendy ($18ish for cover + cost of inserts)

Not as flexible around bigger babies waist

 

 

Wipes.

Check out my video on how to make wipes with paper towels!

I also use reusable wipes.  I have some exciting thoughts to share with you on these in the future.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Butt rashes. Do NOT use normal diaper rash cream in cloth diapers!!!  It makes them non-absorbent.  Use a natural cloth diaper safe cream…or try a bit of corn starch on babies bum…or use a disposable cloth between babies bum and cloth diaper.

Cost. I have put about $300 into cloth diapers.  I am totally saving money after 1 year of using cloth and homemade wipes.

I really do enjoy cloth diapering–environmental and cost are the two biggies for me.  The transition to cloth was easy for me, but I am a stay at home mom.  As to the husbands involvement…well, he doesn’t do a lot with diapers unless he is home alone with Elias…I don’t mind, since it was the bargain I made with him when I convinced him to go cloth.  We didn’t start cloth right away with Elias, so I am anxious to see how I feel about using cloth with a newborn.  We will see…  My next cloth diapering adventure is trying a knit soaker cover–I’m excited!  I’m going to use the pattern Curly Purly Soaker Cover.

Let me know if you guys have any other questions!

Today it’s all about cloth diapers!  Before you think that there is no way you could ever try cloth, open your mind, watch the video, and think of all the CASH you’ll save!  Plus you can promise the reluctant spouse that you will take care of all the poopy diapers.  (It’s really not that bad.)  Below the video I give you some helpful links on cloth diapers and some additional info.  Enjoy!

Cloth Diapers from Ingrid Barlow on Vimeo.

Homemade Disposable Wipes

Homemade Laundry Detergent

Elegant Mommy–Shelly’s store in Sioux Falls, SD.  They would be happy to answer questions and totally get you on your way to being a successful cloth diaper user.  You can order your diapers online and they will send them your way!

SouleMama–cloth diapering section in her book “Handmade Home” plus other good advice and ideas

I really can’t say what I prefer, FuzziBunz or Thirsties.  They both have their own perks.  I do like the options.

FuzziBunz–one size fits all, great overnight, baby feels dry, snap closure.

Thirsties–cheaper but 2 different sizes, I can use the cover more than once before I wash it, will help with potty training, no leakage ever!

I will admit that I did not go the cloth route until Elias was about 2 months old.  With him being our first baby, the thought of trying to use cloth in the beginning was very overwhelming.  I was just trying to keep the child alive.  Once I gave cloth a try, it was a very easy transition and I would never dream of going back.