I love cloth diapers. I have been using them for a little over a year now. I tried to think about what it was that I liked about using cloth diapers - is it the environmental aspects? money saving? bragging rights? Yes, yes, and yes. But it is more than that. I just like using cloth diapers. I can't say it is fun to clean them, not that it is hard to do but really, who
likes to touch things with poop on them? Anyhow, as I was thinking about it I realized that I like it for a lot of reasons, which is probably why I have stuck with it this long and don't foresee myself stopping. I like to think it gives me "Old Lady" clout.
Now that baby number three is on her way I need more diapers and covers - I started with cloth diapers when my son was 7 months old so I am lacking the smaller size. A few friends threw me a baby shower and they were able to get a group of people together to chip in for a
snap press. Let me say, it is wonderful. I am able to put industrial plastic snaps on everything. It is so much fun! Last week I went to Mill End Fabrics here in Portland and was able to buy some PUL. I would have preferred white but all they had was navy blue. I decided to get a yard and give it a try. It was really easy - it took only about 45 minutes from start to finish. I used
this pattern, also from my baby shower, but instead of using the velcro, I used
snaps.
Now, you may be wondering why I am so into snaps. I bought a whole set of
diaper covers for my son with velcro and after about seven months the velcro stopped sticking. I was, and still am, ticked off that I paid $11 each for these diaper covers that are supposed to last through "multiple children" and they haven't even lasted for one child. So, that is why I am sold on snaps. I put snaps on all of my son's covers and they work like a charm - and they don't leak, which was a concern that was brought up.
Back to the cover I made, I couldn't find
fold over elastic (FOE) here at Mill End and I didn't want to drag a toddler around town looking for something that I wasn't sure I would be able to find so I settled for a 1-inch cotton swimsuit elastic that I just folded in half and sewed on as I would have done with FOE. It is soft and works fine - no wicking. I used two layers of PUL because one side is plastic and one side is polyester. I thought that having the plastic up against his skin would be uncomfortable and I didn't want to use any fabric that would absorb moisture or wick it to the outside. The PUL doesn't slide around or anything. Next time I am going to mark where I want the snaps to go before I sew on the elastic because it was difficult to get them in a straight line once the elastic was attached. Overall, I think they turned out quite well so I am excited to get some white PUL and make a whole set for the baby to use.
On Saturday I went to a friend's baby shower. She is having a boy so I made her a little baby blanket with farm animals on one side and a minty green on the other side as well as a crochet brim hat that [sort of] matches. I used my 3-month old as the hat model. I have to say she did a great job.
Today was the first time in 7 weeks (since my baby girl was born) that I have been able to craft. It felt so good. This morning in an attempt to stop my 2-year old from playing with the Guitar Hero guitars I decided to make him his own guitar. It was really simple and used things I just had around the house. It took me about 20 minutes start to finish. The neck is made out of two pieces of cardboard taped together (front to back for support) with packing tape; the strings are made out of yarn; the body is made of heavy duty cardboard from an old scrapbooking notebook that I no longer needed. I used a popsicle stick to provide a little more support between the neck and body (that was done after this picture was taken so you can see the bend I fixed). Now it is totally sturdy and ready for a 2-year old to rock out on.
For my 2-year old I also made a quilt. It was meant for his Christmas present but that didn't happen and it got put off until a day when both kids were asleep at the same time for long enough for me to get my sewing machine out and set up. I can't wait for the day when I can have a place where I can leave my sewing machine set up all the time. the front is made out of woven cotton fabrics and the back is made of flannel that I found the day after Thanksgiving (that was the first time I shopped the sales and I just went to JoAnn). I used two layers of cotton batting on the inside so it should be nice and toasty. Overall, it was pretty easy with the only real challenge being the mitered corners. If you are making a quilt and want to miter the corners of the front or back, go here. 
The pictures are not the greatest but along with the instructions, it is the best I could find. Quite helpful. To quilt it together I stitched in the ditch so the pattern on the top wouldn't get too busy. I used a thread that went well with the flannel on back because that is where you would see it most.
Back to the cover I made, I couldn't find fold over elastic (FOE) here at Mill End and I didn't want to drag a toddler around town looking for something that I wasn't sure I would be able to find so I settled for a 1-inch cotton swimsuit elastic that I just folded in half and sewed on as I would have done with FOE. It is soft and works fine - no wicking. I used two layers of PUL because one side is plastic and one side is polyester. I thought that having the plastic up against his skin would be uncomfortable and I didn't want to use any fabric that would absorb moisture or wick it to the outside. The PUL doesn't slide around or anything. Next time I am going to mark where I want the snaps to go before I sew on the elastic because it was difficult to get them in a straight line once the elastic was attached. Overall, I think they turned out quite well so I am excited to get some white PUL and make a whole set for the baby to use.
Fall is here. Winter is approaching. I love this time of year. I love the changing colors all around me. I love the smell of burning wood in fireplaces and stoves. I love soup and hot chocolate. I love fall. Thanks to the change in season and a predictable schedule now that my oldest is in school I have been feeling more and more like crafting. I have really missed it. Lately I have been cranking out the hats. Earflaps for all! There is nothing cuter than a sweet little babe with a handmade earflap hat. I hope to surprise some wonderful, dear, and patient friends with these beauties.
