Makin' Stuff for the Baby: Newborn Diapers

So, I searched and I searched and I couldn't find my newborn diapers. I must have either packed them away really well or I must have given them away. No biggie. I did the math trying to decide if I was going to just go for disposable diapers for the newborn stage until Baby Brown 4.0 fits into our small Fuzzi Bunz or our Bum Genius Diapers. After doing the math, I realized that we'd spend a couple hundred bucks on sposies for just a few weeks. I plugged the numbers and put together the cost if I were to make a new stash of newborn diapers, and the difference was AMAZING. The first time I made diapers, I didn't know what I was doing. I was just learning to sew and I knew nothing about cloth diapers. This time I knew so much better and I knew what to do. So, I bought my supplies. I think I spent less than $60. I'm not sure how many diapers this will make. As long as I don't mess up too badly, I know I should get something like 25-ish diapers and I'm hoping for enough to make at least two travel size wet bags. We'll see.

So.... I made my first diaper. It's pretty awesome and I'm so glad that I've figured this out. I'm excited to finish the rest. Not sure if all of my diapers are going to be the same style, but I thought I would share the tutorials that I used to make the diaper I wanted.

Instead of keeping you all in suspense, here is the finished product.It's in the same style as Fuzzi Bunz pretty much.

I bought my fabric from http://kidsinthegarden.com/ The outter is teal PUL and the inner is microfleece. I have to say that the fabric is awesome. The colors that I received are true to what was on her website. And the service was FAST. I received my order about 5 days after I put it in.

I didn't really use a pattern, but instead made my own. This is the website that I used to help me figure that out: http://diapersewing.wordpress.com/2006/12/06/drafting-your-own-cloth-diaper-pattern/

I also used measurements from this website to help me out: 

http://www.diapersewing.com/measurements.htm 

I followed the directions sort of from the Fauz Fuzzi Bunz pattern that is online:

http://stephsoundoff.blogspot.com/2006/04/faux-fuzzis.html 

I didn't follow her steps to the "T" just because I had repaired enough Fuzzi Bunz to know how I like to do things. But it gave me a guide to follow. I do elastic differently and I made the tabs more like the new FB's, instead of her design, which is more like the older version of FB's. On the one pictured above, I added a cross-over tab, but in reality, it would only be necessary for a super small baby (which I doubt I will have). 

I think I like how it turned out. In the future, I might make the crotch just a tad bit narrower than I did on this one. I made mine a 6 inch, and I think I might try to make one with a five inch crotch. I can't wait to try it on a baby! 

As far as the stuffers, I just stopped by Walmart and picked up 2 packs of 18 regular size white wash cloths for $4. When they are tri-folded, they fit perfectly. They can be single stuffed or double stuffed. 

I already had the snap press and snaps thanks to my doula and very awesome friend, since we put snaps on our baby carriers. It has come in handy. 

Here is my finished product compared to a small sized FB and a one-size Bum Genius 3.0 on the smallest setting:

It looks like it will be just the difference I need to buy us some time until baby can fit into our current stash.