Small, Medium, Large, XL Sized Diaper Pattern

UPDATED JULY 7 2008

You can use this pattern to make your own Small, Medium, Large and Extra Large diapers.  I made them for a few years under the CookiePants label and they sold great!  I have the PDF patterns linked at the bottom.  At this time I have the soaker, small and medium.  Tape together, add a seam allowance and you’re good to go.

SIZING

Newborn: Weight+6-12 lbs.
Small: Weight=8-16 lbs.
Medium: Weight=14-25 lbs.
Large: Weight=20-35+ lbs.
X-Large: Weight=30+ lbs.

These are approximates, fit varies by baby.  Fiddle around with what you like, make it your own!

Enjoy!

~Nutmeg cookiepants advocacy

This is a turn and topstitch pattern. You can of course do a serged option as well.  You can use TouchTape (similar to velcro but way better in the wash), or metal or polyresin snaps.

I attached the soaker to the front of the diaper, because I hated looking around for soakers, and it was faster drying.

The front is the smaller part of the hour glass shape you will cut out

Click here for pattern pieces ::  Cookiepants Cloth Diaper Pattern for soaker, small, medium diaper

XL, Large, Medium, Small

.

Materials

Fabric

If you’d like your diaper to be an AIO (all in one, not needing a outer cover)100 % wool (be sure to felt first—wash in hot water and dry on hottest setting three times), PUL or Polartec (Malden Mills) 200, or Wind Pro (WP) fleece. You may want to treat the fabric with Nik-Wax or lanolin. See appendix for more information.

Lining: This is what will rest against your baby’s skin. I recommend a very soft knit with at least 70% cotton content. You can also use hemp fleece or knit burley with nice results. For easy clean-ability, use microfleece.

Thread: If you are using a regular sewing machine, we recommend using polyester Gutermann® thread. If you are serging, use Maxilock. I still use Gutermann in the needle.

Needles: We recommend always using ball point stretch needles, Stretch 14/90 Schmetz are a good choice. Hint: if your machine is skipping stitches, your needle is dull. Change out your needle after 7 hours of sewing for best results.

Elastic: it is cheapest to purchase by the yard. I usually buy 5 yards at a time. You can use ¼ inch, Lastin®, Stretchrite cotton or poly blends, or 5/8 inch fold over elastic (FOE).

Absorbent fabric: I recommend knit burley or hemp fleece. The toweling knits you find at local fabric stores wash up stiff and uncomfortable for baby.

Instructions for sewing your diaper

It is recommended you first try this with a piece of muslin or other ‘extra’ fabric you have, so you ensure proper fit for your baby before cutting into the more expensive fleece or wool.

Line the long side up with the grain of your fabric. Cut one on the fold.

Adding elastic around the leg openings:

Regular method:

Fold your fabric to the inside 1/2 inch along the leg opening edges. Sew with a straight stitch along this fold. Using a small safety pin, insert the elastic through the hem casing. Zig-zag titch the ends of the elastic together.

Fold over method:

Using FOE (fold over elastic) Fold the elastic around the edge of the fabric. Sew around. Hint: Colored or variegated thread makes this a fun touch!

With right sides together, sew the side seams together with a ¼ inch seam. You will be sewing over the elastic.

Preparing the fabrics:

Lay the lining fabric and the outer fabric on top of each other on your cutting mat.

Cut your absorbent layers. I recommend that you use three layers of hemp fleece, cut 10 x 3 inches. If you have a serger machine, serge around all layers. If you have a regular sewing machine or are doing this by hand, sew a straight stitch around the edges so the layers won’t pull apart in the wash. (hint: sometimes, I just glue stick them together, as I will be sewing them all together in the next step, and the glue washes out)

Lay absorbent layers on the wrong side of the lining. Sew a straight stitch around the layers. Wanna be fancy? Use the zigzag stitch!

Contributed by Megan from CookiePants Advocacy

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Soaker pattern knit in the round

Wool Diaper Cover (Soaker) to knit in the round

Yarn needed: worsted weight, at least 75% wool
Gauge: 5 sts to the inch
Needles: 16″ circulars (or a set of double points) in size to give you the above gauge

Instructions given for newborn [small, medium, larger, toddler]

Size	Hip over diaper

Newborn…………………………aprox 12″
Small (0-6 months)…………aprox 14″
Medium (6-12 months) ….aprox 16″
Large (12-24 months) …….aprox 18″
Toddler aprox………………….20″

Cast on 56 [72, 80, 88, 96] sts. Join for knitting in the round.
- Work in k2, p2 ribbing for 4 [5, 5, 6, 6] rows.
- Eyelet row for all sizes: (k2, yarn over, p2tog) repeat around.
- Continue in k2, p2 ribbing for another 4 [5, 5, 6, 6] rows.
- Work in stocking or garter st for 3.5″ [4", 4", 4", 4"].
- Place 12 [16, 17, 19, 21] sts on a stitch holder.
- You will now be working back and forth on the remaining 44 [56, 63, 69, 75] sts.
- Dec 1 st at the beginning and end of every other row until 12 [16, 17, 19, 21] sts remain.
- Weave these sts together with the ones you placed on the holder.

Finishing touches:
- Knit an icord tie and thread through the eyelets.
- Add cuffs if you desire by picking up one st for every row along the leg opening. Stocking st cuff works great (it rolls nicely), or a ribbed cuff works too.

****************************************

Use your ascii imagination…
This is what the soaker looks like before you weave the sts together.

|||||||||||||||
| |
| |
| _____ |
| / \ |
|/ \|
\ /
\ _____ /

Here’s what it roughly looks like after weaving the sts together.

|||||||||||||||
| |
| |
| |
| / \ |
|/_______\|

**********************************************

Please note that I have not tested all of the sizes, but according to my calculations, they should be pretty accurate. Please let me know if you have any problems with or suggestions for my pattern.

 

Edited 4/25/2006: Soaker pattern update – argyle knitting charts)
I’ve created a couple of argyle knitting charts for the pattern. Now, everyone can have a preppy diaper cover! Well, as long as the small or large size soaker will work for you. The 12-st repeat argyle pattern will also work for the toddler size, but I didn’t get a chance to chart it out.

The chart for the size small.

The chart changes for the size large.

—————————————-

(Edited 8/16/2004: Soaker pattern update – decreasing tips)

NOTES ON DECREASING:

You can try placing your decreases one or two stitches away from the edge. It makes the decreases visible, but it can make for a smoother edge to pick up stitches from. I like to do my decreases this way. Another thing that might be helpful is to make your decreases symmetrical. If you ssk (slip, slip, knit) for the first decrease and k2tog (knit 2 together) for the second, your decreases will slant in the opposite directions. A little fussy, maybe; but it looks great.

Maybe I should explain in more detail…let’s say you are knitting the newborn soaker and have 44 stitches on your needle at the point you are ready to start the decreases. On the first decrease row you would do the following:

k1, ssk, k38, k2tog, k1

You basically have a “cushion” of one knitted stitch on either side of your decrease. If you wanted a “cushion” of two stitches instead, your row would look like this:

k2, ssk, k36, k2tog, k2

 

contributed by Ms. Crafty Galore

 

http://community.livejournal.com/punk_knitters/110889.html

 

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Instructions for Sewing a Pull-on Fleece Cover/Training Pants

You can make these with or without a serging sewing machine, or even by hand if you are truly committed! 

Materials

Outer Fabric: 100 % wool (be sure to felt first—wash in hot water and dry on hottest setting three times), PUL or Polartec (Malden Mills) 200, or Wind Pro (WP) fleece.  You may want to treat the fabric with Nik-Wax or lanolin.  See appendix for more information.

Thread: If you are using a regular sewing machine, we recommend using polyester Gutermann® thread.  If you are serging, use Maxilock.  I still use Gutermann in the needle. 

Needles: We recommend always using ball point stretch needles, Stretch 14/90  Schmetz are a good choice. Hint: if your machine is skipping stitches, your needle is dull.  Change out your needle after 7 hours of sewing for best results.

Elastic: it is cheapest to purchase by the yard.  I usually buy 5 yards at a time.  You can use ¼ inch, Lastin®, Stretchrite cotton or poly blends, or 5/8 inch fold over elastic (FOE).

For Training Pants you will also need:

Absorbent fabric: I recommend knit burley or hemp fleece.  The toweling knits you find at local fabric stores wash up stiff and uncomfortable for baby.

Lining: This is what will rest against your baby’s skin.  We recommend a knit with at least 70% cotton content.  You can also use hemp fleece or knit burley with nice results.

Pattern

Pattern is included in this publication.  There are two pieces, and you can alter to fit your baby or toddler.

Instructions for sewing your diaper cover

It is recommended you first try this with a piece of muslin or other ‘extra’ fabric you have, so you ensure proper fit for your baby before cutting into the more expensive fleece or wool.

Cut out parts A and B using your chosen outer fabric. Hint: If the fabric pattern is all one direction, cut them out so it looks right side up as shown in the illustration.

With right sides together sew the crotch together with about a 1/4 inch seam.

Prepare elastic: Measure your baby’s thigh.  Cut the elastic one inch shorter than this measurement.  Measure your baby’s tummy, cut the elastic one inch shorter than this measurement.

Adding elastic around the leg openings:

Regular method:

Fold your fabric to the inside 1/2 inch along the leg opening edges. Sew with a straight stitch along this fold.   Using a small safety pin, insert the elastic through the hem casing. Zig-zag titch the ends of the elastic together.

Fold over method:

Fold the elastic around the edge of the fabric.  Sew around.  Hint: Colored or variegated thread makes this a fun touch!

 

With right sides together, sew the side seams together with a ¼ inch seam.  You will be sewing over the elastic.

Adding elastic around the top opening:

 

Regular method:

Fold your fabric to the inside 1/2 inch along the top edge. Sew with a straight stitch along this fold.  Leave an opening of about an inch to insert elastic. Using a small safety pin, insert the elastic through the hem casing. Zigzag stitch the ends of the elastic together.

Fold over method:

Fold the elastic around the edge of the fabric.  Sew along this elastic. 

 

Instructions for sewing your training pants:

It is recommended you first try this with a piece of muslin or other ‘extra’ fabric you have, so you ensure proper fit for your baby before cutting into the more expensive fleece or wool.

 

Preparing the fabrics:

Lay the lining fabric and the outer fabric on top of each other on your cutting mat.  Cut out A and B (you will now have four cuts of fabric).

 

Cut your absorbent layers.  We recommend that you use three layers of hemp fleece, cut 10 x 3 inches. If you have a serger machine, serge around all layers.  If you have a regular sewing machine or are doing this by hand, sew a straight stitch around the edges so the layers won’t pull apart in the wash. (hint: sometimes, I just glue stick them together, as I will be sewing them all together in the next step, and the glue washes out)

 

Lay absorbent layers on the wrong side of the lining. Sew a straight stitch around the layers. Wanna be fancy? Use the zigzag stitch!

 

Sewing layers together:

Place wrong sides of fabric together, stitch around with a ¼ inch seam allowance. 

If you have a serger sewing machine just sew around the edges.

 

Assemble the rest of the training pants using the instructions above for the diaper cover.

 

Want more ideas? 

• Recycle that old wool sweater or blanket into a diaper cover.
• Find a fun patch for the front or back!  Most toddlers will like it on the front.
• Topstitch using a double needle for a more tailored look.
• Add a personal tag to the back so Junior will know the front from the back.
• Knit or crochet your own

Contributed by Megan from CookiePants Advocacy

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What we need

Here are the articles we need written:

Clothing patterns that are cloth friendly

Construction and Fabric information

Patterns for fitted diapers, prefolds,

Washing and drying cloth diapers

How to night diaper

How to cloth diaper on trips/vacation

Wipes

Wipe solution, recipes for skin creams, odor neutralizers

Knit and crochet patterns for soakers

Anything else you think relevant to the subject of cloth diapering

Please reply here or in the first post and I’ll get you all set up.

You can link your site at the end of your article, otherwise, this is a no ads site.

Just email them to me at materialmama at gmail dot com! 

Thanks!

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Fabric choices

Diapers

There are all kinds of fabric that will work for diapers. Flannel, Birdseye, interlock/jersey, twill, stretch terry, woven terry, etc. Anything that is close to 100% cotton (no more than 20% poly) and is a strong, yet soft next to baby’s skin will work.

Check around your house for things you don’t use any longer. Cut up old flannel sheets or receiving blankets, check your husbands closet for old flannel shirts he no longer wears. How about that t-shirt drawer? You can also use microfleece for the layer next to the baby to keep baby dry.

Covers

PUL, Ultrex other waterproof fabric. Or water-resistant fabrics like fleece and wool. There is a HUGE difference in fleece out there. Be careful what you buy. I suggest you ONLY buy Malden Mills fleece. If your using a 2 layer cover use 200wt fleece, if you’re using a 1 layer cover, use 300wt or Windpro fleece. You cannot buy Malden Mills fleece in local fabric stores. You are pretty much going to have to buy online.

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Cloth Diaper Overview

Cloth diapers may be made of absorbent layers of or terry towelling fabric.

Cloth diapers are reusable and often made with environmentally friendly or sustainable biodegradable material such as hemp. This places much less stress on landfills. However, they also require laundering and high-temperature water to be properly cleaned.

Cloth diapers can be made of industrial cotton. The fabric may be bleached white or now more commonly left a natural colour. Alternative materials which are becoming much more popular and more common are grown without pesticides, such as unbleached hemp, bamboo and organic cotton.

They have become more user friendly in recent years. Pre-formed cloth diapers with snaps or hook and loop fasteners and all-in-one diapers with waterproof exteriors are now available, in addition to the older pre-fold and pin variety.

Increasingly popular are “pocket” or “stuffable” diapers, which consist of a water-resistant outer shell sewn with an opening in the back for insertion of absorbent material. Some cities offer a cloth diapering service which delivers clean diapers and picks up soiled ones for a fee. Cloth diapers may be used in conjunction with elimination communication as a back-up in case of an accident.

To clean them, people use laundry detergent and water or send the soiled diapers to a cleaner. This can cause problem where water availability concerns exists. Cloth diaper-wearing children tend to toilet train earlier, because the cloth retains moisture, which allows the child to feel when he or she is wet and/or dirty and associate the feeling with elimination. This also increases the number of changes per day (approx 9.7 per day) versus 5.4 to 7.0 per day (disposables).

Cloth diaper-wearing children go through about 6,000 diaper changes. It is difficult to find high quality cloth diapers at brick and mortar stores, thus many people sew their own diapers or shop for cloth diapers on-line. One usually has to either visit an on-line service that sells them.

Length of use

While awake, most children no longer need diapers when past two to four years of age, depending on culture, diaper type, parental habits, and the child’s personality. However, some children have problems with daytime or more commonly nocturnal bladder control until eight years or older. This may occur for a variety of reasons, the most common being the as yet insufficient production of ADH in the young child’s body. Other reasons include the difficulty of managing a small bladder and emotional issues (but emotional issues are a less common reason than generally believed).

Some older children also need diapers while traveling. These children may use standard but larger size diapers or special diapers which mimic underwear and do not require complex fastening or adult assistance.

Changing

When to change a diaper is the decision of the caregiver. Some people believe that diapers should be changed at fixed times of the day for a routine, such as after naps and after meals. Other people believe that diapers should be changed when they feel a change is needed regardless of timing. Still others people believe a diaper should be changed immediately upon wetting or soiling. And, some believe that a diaper should be changed only when the wearer is uncomfortable, the diaper is full, the diaper is leaking, or the wearer has a bowel movement.

To avoid skin irritation, commonly referred to as diaper rash, the diaper of those prone to it should be changed as soon as possible after it is soiled (especially by fecal matter). The combination of urine and feces creates ammonia. Ammonia irritates skin and can cause painful redness. During the change, after the buttocks are cleaned and dried, some people use baby oil, barrier creme or baby powder to reduce the possibility of irritation. The most effective means to prevent and treat diaper rash is to expose the buttocks to air and sunshine as often as possible. There are also drying creams based on such ingredients as zinc oxide which can be used to treat diaper rash. Before disposing of a diaper, either in a diaper pail for washing, fecal matter should be removed as much as possible and placed in a toilet to avoid landfill and ground water contamination.

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Brief History of Diapering

Diapering, or clothing infants not yet potty trained, is as old as humankind. Mothers were challenged every day by their babies’ necessities and composed diapering solutions such as old blankets filled with moss, home-spun clothing wraps and swaddling bands. Thanks to the industrial revolution in the mid 19th century, cheap manufactured cotton fabrics helped mothers diaper their babies and with the invention of the safety pin in the 1840s, the diaper began to take its form.

The revolution came in the 1930s. Perhaps in anticipation of wartime supply disruptions, the Germans were seeking alternatives to imported cotton for medical purposes and developed a technique to fabricate a soft cellulose tissue (“Cell-Stoff”) from wood pulp.

This technique caught the attention of the Swedish paper company Pauliström Bruk, which in the late 1930s brought about a brand new concept whereby a special type of soft tissue sheets, cut into pieces and wrapped into a parcel, was placed in the baby’s pants. This represented the first step toward the disposable diaper.

• 1941: First reference to a “disposable diaper” at Pauliström: a 2-piece product consisting of a disposable pad of cellulose wadding with gauze or knitted mesh cover and a reusable panty.
• 1946: American housewife Marion Donovan patents the “Boater” (waterproof cover with snaps for cloth diaper or disposable insert).
• 1947: British mother Valerie Hunter Gordon develops a two-piece disposable diaper for her own baby and sells more than 400 to local women. Two years later, Robinson & Sons commercialises a two-piece Paddi Pad diaper based on this concept.

Many parents believe that the disposable diaper is one of the great inventions of the 20th Century – a revolutionary product which has brought huge benefits to society in terms of health, hygiene and convenience. Parents, babies and toddlers around the world have been enjoying the freedom and comfort of disposable diapers for over 50 years.

The word diaper originally referred to the type of cloth rather than its use. Diaper cloth was originally linen. The first known reference is in Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew : “Another bear the ewer, the third a diaper”. This usage stuck in the United States and Canada, but in Britain the word nappy (short for baby napkin) took its place.

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Draft your own cloth diaper pattern

A Step-by-Step Guide to Drafting a Fitted Diaper Pattern

1. These are the supplies that you need to draft a diaper pattern: Paper grocery bag, ruler/yard stick, pencil, eraser, sharpie marker, and several Tupperware lids and containers.

2. Cut open the paper grocery bag and fold out all the seams so that it lays flat.

3. Take your child’s measurements over a diaper. The waist measurement is taken at the belly button. The rise measurement is taken from the belly button, down through the legs, and up the back to where the belly button would be if it was on the back. The measurements of my DD are waist = 18″ and rise = 16″

4. Now reference lines need to be drawn. I line up my ruler along the vertical seam in the bag and make a line 16″ long. This is the crotch. At the top of the line I make another line perpendicular to it. I measure out 9″ each way. This is the waist measurement. On the other end of the vertical line, I mark the tummy panel line, which is 1/2 the size of the waist measurement or 9″.

5. All reference lines are made and the measurement notations are made on the grocery sack: Waist = 18″/Rise = 16″/ Tummy = 9″ **NOTE: I used a sharpie marker so that you could see the lines in the photos, butI would recommend using a pencil first and when the entire pattern is drafted, go over it with a Sharpie.**

6. Divide the rise reference line measurement by 2 (8″) and make a small tick mark.

7. Then measure down 1 1/2 – 2 inches down from that mark and make another tick mark. This is the crotch line. The back part of the diaper needs to be loner to accomidate the baby’s tushy. If you have a boy, you might want to place the crotch line right in the middle of the rise reference line to accom. his “equipment”.

8. Draw your crotch line. I like my diaper’s to be quite trim through the crotch, so I made it 5″. A nice
reference list of diaper measurements can be found at www.diapersewing.com, includng crotch widths.

9. Take a medium sized Tupperware bowl or lid and draw the front panel to crotch curves. I used the same lid for both convex and concave curves. You can take another small Tupperware lid or bowl and curve the front panel line so that it isn’t square, but I like to keep my pattern like this. It makes it easier to adapt to a pocket diaper.

10. Use a small Tupperware lid or bowl (I think the snack cup works perfectly) to draw the wasit tabs. You can either line up the cup with the end of the line and draw the curve . . . . OR

11. . . . Line up the cup so that the curve merges with the end of the line and draw. This application is best
suited if you want to have cross-over tabs.

12. Now your pattern is done! Almost . . .

13. Take a large Tupperware lid or bowl and draw lines to connect the crotch line to the tabs.

14. If you are using knit fabrics for your diaper, cut out the pattern as is. If you are using wovens, you need to add a seam allowance. Rubber band 2 pencils together and run them along the outside lines of your diaper. This will give you a perfect 1/4″ seam allowance.

15. Cut out your diaper pattern – this pattern is for knits.

16. Fold in half to make sure all curves are symmetrical. My tabs weren’t so I trimmed them to be the same.

17. The elastic placement needs to be marked next. Fold up the tummy panel to line up with the crotch line. Make little marks at these folds close to the edge of the pattern.

18. I like to use a hole punch to mark my elastic placements. Then I can just dot the fabric with a wash-away pen.

19. Measure in from the waist tabs 3″ and make a mark with a pen or by punching a hole. I find this
measurement by taking 1/2 of the waist measurement, dividing it by 3, and measure in that amount from
the back tabs.

20. Take the ruler and measure straight down to the bottom of the waist tab and make a mark with a pen or by punching a hole.

21. Here is the diaper pattern with all elastic measurements marked and cut out. Good Luck on drafting your own pattern and Happy Sewing!

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Welcome to Diaper Sewing!

Our Mission — to bring the world of cloth diapering to the mainstream world, free of charge

First, thank you so much for taking the time to check out our site. This is an international project, with contributors from all over the globe. If you’d like to be a part of our author’s list, please reply here after reading what we’re all about.

How is this different from most cloth diaper info sites?

For one thing, no ads. I will have links if you’re interested in purchasing cloth diapers, but no ads here.

In addition, all this information is free for you to use. So long as you don’t charge anyone for anything you print here you’re fine. You can use the patterns to make diapers, make them for sale, just leave the Creative Commons ‘chicklet’ and link here with your information about the diaper when you send them to customers and you’re good to go. Sounds pretty good, huh?

Most diaper sites have copyright regarding their information and posts. Which means nothing can be copied and used or passed around. They retain all copyright. If you want to copy something you have to ask permission. Here at Diapersewing.wordpress.com , you don’t have to ask permission. It’s free to use for anyone who wants to use it.

If you’d like to contribute

Please reply in the first post with your name, what you’d like to add, where you heard about us, and your e-mail address. I’ll approve you to be a contributer to our mission. Thank you so much! You can also send in pictures of cloth diaper sewing techniques. Please don’t send in pictures with your children in them. I’d like to stay off the fetish radar as much as possible. I’ll be starting a Flickr group for pictures of cloth diaper making and I’ll post that page when I get a minute.

– Meg aka Nutmeg from materialmama.com

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