Comfy T-shaped Diaper Pattern and Sewing Instructions
Step 1
Find some good fabric. I use an old towel – a soft one with long loops – for the outer – and some soft cotton for the inside – I have used flannel for one. The flannel was enough with one layer and it is non-stretchy and therefore a bit easier to sew than the Jersey cotton I used for the other one I made. The jersey cotton is from a stretch sheet that I cut up – found it very cheap in the supermarket. The jersey is very very soft and at least to me a better result in the end – but it is a bit more difficult to sew because it is stretchy.
Step 2
Now you draw the pattern you want to use on a big piece of paper.
The pattern I use is T-shaped. The top bar of the T is 21,4 inches across. The “wings” of the diaper is the top of the T-bar and they are 3,4 inches wide.
The diaper is 18 inches long from back to front (down the middle of the T) and the part that goes between the legs is 6,4 inches wide.
This is a bit rough – you need it to be slightly less squared so when you cut out the paper you want to round the inner corners where the wings meet the diaper. Like the red line I have made.
NB: Sizing
You can adjust the size of the "bum-part" of the diaper by moving the red line either closer to the original pattern or further away for a bigger buttom. All in all the size of the diaper can be adjusted by adding more length or more width in the crotch (though I find the width to work just fine as it is now - slim and well fitting). My guess is that the above measurements will fit a baby between 10-25 lbs. See the pictures below for reference.
Now cut out your paper to save and use with future diapers to draw around on the fabric.
You also need to make a soaker-pad pattern. It is only a square 4 inches wide and 16,4 inches long. Cut that out as well.
Step 3:
Put out your two layers of fabric. If you use thin jersey for the inside then you may want to cut two layers of jersey and one layer of terry for the outside of the diaper. It must be terry or something similar on the outside because you want the Nippy Nappa to fasten to it. You can choose to use aplix too – but I prefer the Nippy Nappa-system.
When you have put out your fabric you place the paper-pattern on top and draw around it. Then remove the paper and use needles to hold the two layers of fabric together while you cut them out. When you cut you do not cut on the line you have drawn – you use that to sew on so it will be straight. You cut a good 1-2 inches outside of the pattern you have drawn.
Now you can separate the two pieces of fabric. You stash the inner layer away. It is time to work with the outer layer – the terry.
Step 4.
Now you must make the soaker pad so the diaper is absorbant. You can use a couple of layers of jersey and a layer of terry. Depending how you will eventually dry the diaper – on a line or in a dryer. I use two layers of terry and two layers of jersey – but that will make a fat diaper that takes longer to dry. You can also settle for maybe 3-4 layers of jersey and one layer of terry. You put all the layers of fabric for the soaker-pad on top of eachother, put the soaker-pad paper square on top and draw around it. Then you cut it out and sew it together with loose zig-zag all the way around. Should be long stitches – they only need to temporarily hold the pad together till you stitch it in the diaper.
When the soaker pad is sewn together you place it on the outer diaper terry layer – in the middle leaving equal room on both sides. Then you sew it in this time use slim short stitches –but maybe you may prefer to sew it on loosely with long stitches first –then if it looks ok you can sew it in properly after. You can also chose to just hold it in place with a couple of needles while you sew.
Place the soaker like this:
Don’t mind the shape of the nappy above - the soaker should be placed in the same way J
You can sew all around the soaker pad or leave it open in the back.
Step 5.
Now it is time to sew in the elastic.
The red lines are where you want the elastic – though ofcourse on both sides – not just one like I have drawn. I have put the elastic very close to the soaker pad in the ones I made – but you can try put it in the middle between the soaker and the edge if you like.
Now you stitch the elastic in one end of the line you have drawn and you sew it in while keeping it stretched. Don’t cut the length of the elastic till you have sewn in as much as you need. You will want enough to hold onto until it is all sewn in.
Make sure to find a good elastic. It should be nice and stretchy. If you use a cheaper one that doesn’t stretch as much make sure to stretch it as wide as you can. It is important that you sew it in with long stitches that you can cut up again if it doesn’t look nice when you are done with both sides. When you sew in the elastic in the back make sure to stretch the elastic hard. You need some extra stretch here.
When you have sewn all the elastic in with long stitches and you can see that it is nice and even on the sides then you can go on and stitch it properly.
Now you are almost done!
Step 6.
Now you find the other layer of the diaper – the one you stashed in step 3. It is time to sew the diaper together. Now you put the two layers of fabric together. You make sure that the sides that you want to be on the outside of the diaper are the ones you put on the inside now. The soaker pad should be out and visible while you sew the layers together. You sew along the line you drew on the terry fabric in step 3. Again I prefer to start stitching them together with long zig-zag stitches so I can easily undo them if I do something wrong. You stitch all the way around – BUT MAKE SURE – to leave the front of the diaper open so you can turn it right-sides out when you are done stitching it up.
When you have loosely stitched it you can stitch it properly. Sew on the inside of the zig-zag you made before – but no further in than the drawn line or the diaper will get too small.
When you stitch along the elastic then you stretch it out so the layers of fabric match all the way around the diaper. You can fix the layers together with needles before you start sewing them together.
When you are done you make sure to remove any needles in the fabric. Then you turn it inside out – or right side out I may want to say.. Now the edges should be nice and even and the soaker pad should now be on the inside of the diaper.
Now you only need to sew the front together. You can do that with a short-stitch and wide zig-zag – and then cut it even after.
Now you are done.
You can put the diaper on and fasten with a Nippy Nappa or a pin.
The real Diddy Diaper is overlocked around the edges. If you have the option to do that then I think the result could be even nicer – and you would not need to stitch it with the wrong sides out first. Then you could stitch it outside out to begin with and skip the whole turning around. That would probably make softer edges too..
This is a picture of my daughter wearing this diaper:
She is roughly 14 lbs and 68 cms tall.
This is from the back to show how much it covers the bum.
Here it is unfolded - a view from the inside and the outside - in that order.
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