All About… Taking care of wool covers

Yes, much has been written on the proper care of wool covers. It’s not hard… just special.

You don’t need to wash wool with every wearing – hang it up to dry after each use, and wash once it starts to smell bad. Does your cover smell bad (once dry) after just one use? It might be less than 100% wool, or maybe your kid just has some seriously stinky pee. Consider just a quick rinse rather than a full wash.

You need a good wool soap and probably some lanolin.  Good wool soap = Naturally Luxe Wool Ones Wash. Of course. Did you have to ask? In reality, though I love the NL wool wash, there are lots of other good wool washes out there. Choose something with a high lanolin content (which is why I like the NL wash), and avoid Woolite (no lanolin). For lanolin, you can use purchased lanolin (solid or liquid), or you can use the lanolin that’s sold as a nipple cream. You might even have gotten some samples during your pregnancy.

 

Washing

You may wash your wool by hand or in the machine on the Hand Wash cycle. (gasp) Yes, you can use your machine. Probably. If you are very familiar with your machine’s hand wash setting, and you know that it agitates only a very little and only infrequently, and that it spins gently and washes in warm with a cool rinse, you’re good. If you use your machine to wash, add the wool wash, water, and covers in whatever order you use for your other laundry, start the machine, and walk away.

If you wash by hand, fill the sink with warm water, add your wool soap (follow manufacturer instructions for amount, or be like me and just add a squirt that seems sufficient, lol), swish a bit, then add your wool. Get it completely wet, swish a bit, let it sit for a few minutes, swish again, drain. Rinse if your wool soap says to, otherwise, you don’t have to.

 

Poop and Stains

If you have poop on your covers, or other stains that need extra attention, take care of that by hand. Scrub gently (some people use an old toothbrush, but I’d take care if you’re scrubbing a hand-knit item) with some wool wash over the spot(s) until you get the poop out, or the stain taken care of.

Some people report a strange yellowish staining on lighter colored covers. In my reading and from what other mommies tell me, it’s probably from over-lanolizing and urine, and I am not sure there’s much you can do to remove the stain once it forms. I’ve experienced this myself on an Aristocrats soaker I purchased used – and it never did come out. It didn’t affect the cover’s use, it just looked bad.

 

Drying

Once your wool’s nice and clean, let it dry. If you washed it in the washer, it’s probably nice and wrung out, but might be misshapen. Gently re-shape your covers before drying them. If you washed by hand, you’ll need to squeeze some of that water out of your covers. I prefer to drain the sink and let my covers hang out in the sink for a little while to get some of the water out without any effort on my part. Then pick them up one by one, squeeze gently, and wrap in a towel. Stand on the towel to really squeeze out the extra water. Repeat with each cover.

If you’ve got wool covers that won’t stretch out of shape, hanging them to dry works just fine. You can hang them on a line, obviously, or drape them over the furniture. You can also lay them flat to dry, if you happen to have a sweater drying rack. I sometimes lay my wool covers on top of the dryer if I have other laundry to dry that day. My favorite is laying wool covers on the radiators to dry, and I’m not sure why I like it so much. Something about walking through the house and seeing diaper covers drying on my radiators just makes my heart warm. Most people have forced air heat these days, though, and so, sadly, are lacking beautiful 100 year old radiators on which to dry their wool. Take a moment to feel sad about that…. OK, let’s move on.

You MIGHT be able to machine dry your wool covers, too. (gasp.) I’ve had no problems using the Low or Air Only settings on my dryer with wraps – I have never tried it with hand knits.

 

Lanolizing

Every so often, you might need to lanolize your covers. I rarely lanolize since switching to the Naturally Luxe Wool Ones Wash. How do you know you need to lanolize? When your wool just doesn’t seem to be performing like it should. Lanolin helps make the covers waterproof, so if they’re seeping, you probably need to lanolize.

Fill your sink with warmish water. Get your covers completely wet. Remove them from the sink. If you’re using solid lanolin, melt it in a small amount of hot water, then add it to the water in the sink. If you’re using liquid lanolin, just squirt some in the sink. Swish it around a bit, then put your covers back in and swish them around. Let soak for a few hours. Drain and follow drying instructions above.

 

Sticky Covers or Sticky Patches

Sometimes, you’ll notice that your wool is sticky or has sticky patches, or even whitish sticky patches. That’s either too much lanolin, or lanolin that got solid again before really soaking into your covers. Use slightly warmer water to soak in next time, and if you think you used too much lanolin altogether, use less next time. In the meantime, it’ll wear off and is not a terribly big deal.

 

Um… My wool is still seeping

There are several reasons this might happen. (Note: Only number 1 should ever happen with Wallypop Woolies.)

1. You just need more lanolin

2. You’re using hand knits (or, I guess, a machine knit) that’s too loose

3. The wool content in your cover is too low

4. There is not enough absorbency in your diaper

 

Bleeding wool

Sometimes, dark colored covers will bleed dye onto the diapers underneath. It doesn’t happen often, but it does happen. Bizarrely, it seems to happen more with boys than girls. Usually, the dye used on wool really only adheres to wool and silk fibers, and washes right out of cotton, so throw the diaper in the wash like usual and the dye should come out, if not in the first wash, then over time. You can find instructions at various places online for setting the dye in wool covers – generally, these involve a mixture of water and vinegar, the microwave, and the strict instructions to NOT SHOCK YOUR WOOL (by moving it from very hot to very cold).

All About… repairing bumGenius pocket diapers

bumGenius diapers are easily the diaper brand I repair the most. Mostly pocket diapers and all in one diapers, sometimes fitteds. Typically, the original hook and loop tape has worn out and users either want it replaced with better quality hook and loop, or with snaps. In addition, about half the diapers I repair also require new elastic.

Because I happen to be working on three rather large repair orders of bumGenius pockets this week, I thought I’d do a quick post about the ins and outs of repairing these diapers.

First, I have recently decided to stop accepting certain types of pocket diapers for certain types of repairs. I cannot (and am unmotivated to) keep up with what the different versions of bumGenius diapers are. One version features three different seams across the front seam:

Contrast that with another version, with just one seam across the front:

I will no longer be replacing the landing strip of the three-seam type. I will be happy to convert that version to snaps, but replacing the landing strip with new loop is all kinds of trouble. In order to pay myself fairly for my time and effort, I’d have to charge you nearly what the diaper cost new.

Fit of repaired diapers.
Your repaired diapers probably won’t fit exactly the same as new, but that probably also isn’t as important as it might seem. First off, your kid is not the same size and shape as they were when the diapers were new. But in reality, I have no way to determine exactly how the diapers fit when new. I use different elastic, with a different stretch. If converting to snaps, that is of course going to fit a bit different.

Wear of old diapers.
In my experience with bumGenius diapers, they usually have hidden damage that is not immediately noticeable. This particularly is noticeable after the old tabs have been removed. The stretchy fabric that holds the tabs actually develops small tears where the thread holds the hook and loop tape in place. These tears are hidden under the tab, and largely held stable by the threads and the tape. Once the threads and tape are removed, they become much more noticeable.

There’s not a whole lot I can do about these small tears. In my experience, based on what I hear back from customers, they don’t tend to grow very fast, if at all. I would advice that users take care when opening the snaps to be sure not to tear them any further.

Affect on one-size fitting
Surprisingly, this is a question I get fairly frequently. “How will this affect the one-size aspect of the diapers?” It won’t the “one size” designation comes from the snap-down rise, which is unaffected by the repair or conversion.

Recommended snap placement
If you choose to mark placement of your snaps yourself, you may decide on any snap placement that suits your fancy. I generally recommend two rows about an inch and a half apart, with the snaps in each row spaced either 1 inch or 1.5 inches apart. You’ll need to mark two snaps on the tabs to correspond with the two rows of snaps on the front.

If you choose to have me decide where to put the snaps, I will put in two rows of snaps, 1.5 inches apart, with the snaps in each row 1 inch apart. I will put two snaps on each tab.

Sloppy snap placement
If you choose to mark snaps, I will place snaps where you place marks. Sloppy marks mean sloppy snaps. I strongly recommend using a ruler to keep your lines straight and even and the marks evenly spaced. If you wish to remove the old hook and loop tape yourself to save money, but prefer me to mark the snaps for you to make sure they’re straight, I’m happy to do that.

Affect on function
A diaper repair should not affect the diaper’s function or waterproofness. The only exception is the fact that those holes are NOT going away. The needle holes from where the original hook and loop were sewn on will ALWAYS be there. It stands to reason that this might make them prone to wicking or seepage, but although I think that this is likely, I’ve not heard from a single customer who has experienced this. As I often say, that doesn’t mean nobody has – just nobody’s told me about it.

And some pictures for you.

here’s an “after” on a diaper that had the tabs, landing strip, and elastic replaced.

Here’s an “after” on a diaper that was converted to snaps. In this case, the diaper’s owner had me remove the old hook and loop and mark the placement of the snaps myself. You can see how much the diaper has faded with use – the strips where the old hook and loop were are much darker.

All about…sewing with PUL

PUL is not difficult fabric to sew with, but it does present its unique challenges.

Most challenging is that the PUL side is often fairly “sticky” – it doesn’t tend to want to easily glide through the sewing machine. This can be overcome by using a teflon sewing machine foot, like this one: http://www.amazon.com/Generic-20034-Teflon-Foot/dp/B0015S8AW6

Some people also report success with carefully putting some tape over their regular sewing foot to make it more glide-y. Another solution is to just always sew with the PUL side down, contacting the feed dogs instead of the presser foot. This does not always help, though!

I think the second most challenging aspect of PUL is that it’s hard to correct mistakes. The needle holes don’t disappear – they are there forever. So, think before you sew, and rip stitches out with care!

For the same reason, be careful with pinning your PUL items together before sewing. Many people choose to use clips instead of pins, but a lot of us just simply pin in the seam allowance.

And, of course, the most common problem in using PUL is producing something that leaks. Be sure to use a high quality, 100% polyester thread. Make as few holes as possible (larger, longer stitches). Don’t pair the PUL with a regular 100% cotton fabric (it’s certainly possible to make a leak-free diaper with cotton as an outer, decorative layer, but that type of diaper is more likely to experience leaks.

(note: we are not responsible for sewing projects that don’t turn out how you wanted them to!)

All About… fastening systems

My preferred fastening system is Touchtape. First, Touchtape is superior to Velcro in so many ways, I would never use Velcro. Not for diapers. My first trial diapers were made with Velcro, and it lost its “stick” within a few washes. (Yes, despite everyone on the internet saying not to use Velcro, I did it anyway.)

Many people use Aplix in their dipes – I used to, but switched to Touchtape after about a year – I just like it better, but they’re really very similar.

I personally don’t like snaps as much -I like the flexibility of being able to fasten a diaper wherever I want, rather than just at either Snap Setting A or Snap Setting B. Also, many parents, particularly daddies, get a little overwhelmed by rows upon rows of snaps. It gets hard to figure out exactly how to close the diaper!

I do offer snaps as an option for those who want it – I use one row of snaps with three settings on each side.

I also don’t buy the whole “kids can remove touchtape but not snaps” “fact” that circulates on the internet. Some kids might be able to remove hook-and-loop tape but be stymied by snaps, but both Wally and Genna could remove both with the same amount of ease (at about 4 months). Stories shared by customers, friends, and just others who I know would seem to indicate that some kids can’t get off diapers with snaps, some can’t get off diapers with hook-and-loop, some kids can’t get off anything, some kids aren’t stopped by any type of fastener, and some kids never try to take their diapers off.

(I’ve found, though, that for kids for whom this is really a problem, using rounded-edge Touchtape closures that are JUST  Touchtape and not any fabric covering it are REALLY hard to remove – at least for a while. After several months, the Touchtape starts to curl a bit on the edges, and then the gig’s up.)

The most common question I get about Touchtape: Does it lose its “stick”? I’ve never had Touchtape lose its Stick. I know it does have a lifespan, I’m just not sure what that lifespan is – longer than I’ve had diapers in circulation with Touchtape, anyway.

The most common problem is Lint Creep. You know, lint catches on one small edge of the tab. Then a month later, the whole thing’s covered. Get yourself a pin, safety pin, bobby pin, etc, and pick that stuff out. It takes like 3 seconds. Voila, good as new.

The second most common problem is pilling on the loop (soft) part. This most often comes from other fabrics in the wash rubbing up on the Touchtape and getting its pilling embedded in the soft fibers of the touchtape. Solution? Scissors or a sweater shaver and cut those pills right off.

I am in the process of testing hook and loop tape from another manufacturer. Their testing indicates that it’s got a high peel strength (how much force is needed to unstick it) as well as a long life (how many uses you get before it quits working). Testing so far is going well, and I like it, but it’s only been a few weeks. If it tests out as better than Touchtape, I’ll be seriously considering making a switch, and I’ll definitely keep you informed!!

All About… Mei Tai Carriers

Mei Tai Carriers.

Of all my carriers, I think the Mei Tai is my favorite. (I really love wraps, but the MT is a bit more portable and is probably my favorite all-around.)

A bit about MT Carriers in General

MT carriers are a great all-around carrier. Two shoulder straps distribute baby’s weight evenly, which is a blessing for the wearer’s back. The two-knot design is quick and easy to put on. And the carrier is simple enough to still be quite versatile – there are several ways to tie the carrier on depending on what you’re going for. I love the MT for the high back carry, and how easy and fast it is to throw a baby on my back.

Some would consider it a drawback that baby can only ride in a few positions – sitting facing in, sitting on the hip, or riding on the back. I know a lot of parents want to be able to wear their babies facing out. I will admit that I don’t understand why. Some MT manufacturers have attempted to address this desire by devising all manner of ways to bunch the carrier up in the front to allow baby to sit facing forward, but a MT really just wasn’t designed for this.

And there are several reasons why you would not want to face baby out anyway. (It stresses babies out. The legs-dangling position is harmful to baby’s spine.) (That said, if you want to wear a baby facing out with their legs hanging outside of the carrier, try a wrap. If you want to wear a baby facing out with their legs tucked in, try a pouch or ring sling. I do have several customers who wear their babies facing out with legs tucked in using the MT, as well.)

A bit about safety

Are MT carriers safe? Of course, the answer is yes. I wouldn’t sell you something that I thought was unsafe.

When wearing a newborn, (yes! you can!), make sure to tie the shoulder straps behind baby’s back to keep their torso upright and not slouching over. (Note: this carrier pictured here is my uber-compact, keep it in the diaper bag, use in emergencies, MT carrier, that’s why the body is so small and the straps so narrow.) This way of tying the straps helps provide baby’s little back with the support it needs.

With ANY MT, make sure that it’s sewn together well. Check the seams before use. Fabric can wear out pretty quickly, particularly in the washing machine, so taking a few seconds to make sure everything’s holding up well should be part of your babywearing routine.

At Wallypop, we use long-wearing fabrics – high-quality cotton prints are paired with hard-working twills and denims. We use the longest-wearing fabrics we can find to keep your baby safe and to provide you with a good value for your money.

We sew our carriers carefully and thoughtfully. I typically do not use a “panel” design (where the front of the carrier is made of several panels and looks like a quilt block) because each seam is a potential weak spot in the carrier. Fewer seams = more safety. We reinforce all of our seams – topstitching around the perimeter of the carrier to give those seams extra support, and we sew down the straps in several places, ensuring that they will never pull loose.

We also don’t use just gobs of thread to hold the straps in place. I’ve seen some carriers that are sewn all around with a really wide, really closely-spaced zig-zag stitch, which I guess looks safer? The problem with this is that each needle hole is a potential tear spot. Fabric is stronger than thread, so when we’re looking for something sturdy, we’re looking for something with more fabric and fewer needle holes!

Now about Wallypop MT carriers

As mentioned above, we use hard-wearing fabrics in our MT carriers. I try to pick out a wide variety of fun prints for the MTs. I can use cotton prints, bottomweight fabrics, or decorator fabrics. I also occasionally use lighter-weight fancy fabrics (silk, etc) as a decorative outer layer. And, one of my favorite things to use – old T-shirts!

The straps are always a coordinating twill or denim. Twill and denim are long-wearing, sturdy fabrics that won’t fold, unduly twist, or wad up. They’re comfortable without being really heavy.

Our straps are unpadded. In our experience, most wearers are quite comfortable with unpadded straps, once they try them. (there’s a strong bias towards thinking you NEED padding, which you don’t.) The unpadded straps are also markedly less bulky! We do offer padded straps as an option on Made to Order MT carriers, which are just a smidge more expensive than ordering one instock.

We sew our waist straps on straight, and the shoulder straps at an angle coming out of the body. There are millions (ok, maybe 5) ways of sewing on straps, and when I was playing around with designs when I was pregnant and when Wally was a newborn, I settled on this one. I just like it. That’s all. I could never get carriers made with angled waist straps to sit right, and found that the angle I use on the shoulder straps is just the right balance between keeping the top of the carrier snug, and leaving room for the baby.

Our straps are pretty long, and will be perfect for most wearers. We do recommend chatting with us before purchasing your carrier if you have any concerns about fit – I can always make longer straps for you! I can also shorten straps of instock carriers if you’re really small.

The body of our MT carriers is roomy, without being too overwhelming. It can seem like a lot of carrier when you’re toting around a 6 lb newborn, but we recommend rolling the carrier at the waist to shorten the body when wearing a small baby – that’ll solve the roominess problem.

All About: Ring Slings

Wallypop Ring Slings

A bit about ring slings in general.

Ring slings are often thought of as a pefect beginning carrier, easy to use, etc. While I wouldn’t say that ring slings are HARD to use, they do have a learning curve, and some people just simply don’t get them. I can honestly say that I’ve seen more people have difficulty with a ring sling than with a wrap – not that ring slings are all that difficult, but they’re not as simple as some want you to believe.

A bit about safety.

The rings used in ring slings are of UTMOST importance. The best ring slings are made with rings manufactured by Sling Rings. Their rings are very safe, tested to 250 lbs, and abused in every way possible. Note that some major brand names of ring slings do not use these rings and have had ring-related recalls. Not good.

Now, about Wallypop ring slings.

We make our ring slings from a variety of midweight cotton fabrics – we try to choose fun or understated prints that look good from both sides (front and back). We also make deluxe slings from silk or other high-end fabrics.  You can make a ring sling out of other weights of fabric, but we’ve found that much lighter weight, and the sling tends to cut in to the wearer’s shoulder and the baby’s legs. Much heavier, and it’s just, well, heavy.

We use nylon rings for our cotton slings. In our experience, the nylon rings grip the fabric better than metal, so they’re less prone to slipping.

For the Deluxe slings, we use aluminum rings. Not because they’re prettier or more deluxe, but because the higher-end fabrics we use (silk, satin, etc) tend to be thinner fabrics, and they are more easily gripped by the aluminum.

Wallypop ring slings are unpadded. In our experience, the padding in padded ring slings tends to just make the slings less adjustable, as the padding gets tangled up in the rings. Most people who start out using a padded ring sling, believing they need the padding for comfort, find that switching to an unpadded ring sling is actually more comfortable – they don’t need the padding, after all, and the lack of padding allows a better fit.

The shoulder of our ring slings are made with an inverse double pleat. Um, what? All that means is that it’s SUPER COMFORTABLE! Just wide enough on your shoulder to be comfortable without unduly restricting arm movement, but readily spreads out across your back with minimal bulk. I’ve also found that this type of pleat seems less likely to twist up than others I’ve tried.

Wearing

When you wear your ring sling, always make sure to keep the rings near your armpit. If you find the rings tend to travel down as you adjust the sling, first – start with the sling adjusted a bit shorter to start with, and second, pull OUT not DOWN.

Always keep fabric between you and baby, so that the baby has a secure place to sit. You never want to rely on friction to keep your baby in the sling!

All About: Pocket Diapers

Pocket diapers.

Alright. Pocket diapers are super simple, really. Two layers of fabric, one waterproof, one not waterproof, plus a closure.

The Basics

My standard instock pocket diapers feature the same hidden elastic and Touchtape closure as all of my other diapers. When I make Made To Order pocket diapers with flannel interiors or cotton exteriors, I use elastic binding rather than hidden elastic. This helps keep moisture where it belongs and cuts down on the wicking that these particular diapers are prone to.

I do not put elastic around both sides of the pocket opening. There is elastic around the back, but the interior side (usually fleece or suedecloth) is left plain. For two reasons. First, adding elastic to both sides of the opening is not really necessary, and as I’m most interested in keeping my costs down, I generally don’t do things that are  not necessary – it just takes extra time and materials, and therefore means extra cost. Second, I personally find pocket diapers with elastic on both sides of the opening to be harder to stuff, and the task of stuffing pocket diapers is tedious enough without any extra hassle!

Leg Openings

I also do not topstitch around the leg openings.  When Wally was a baby and I added pocket diapers to my product lineup, I personally found that I experienced more leaking/wicking with pocket diapers that had been topstitched around the legs (regardless of brand). So, the ones I added to my inventory had a rolled leg, rather than a stitched leg.

Now with Genna, I’m finding that for her diapers, I don’t have any leaking or wicking regardless of how I make the leg. I’ve heard similar reports from those I’ve asked to test it out for me (just a few people, and I never thought to test the different leg types originally!).  However, it does make them marginally more difficult to stuff, because the opening is narrower inside.

I briefly considered switching the leg style earlier this year, but decided not to – many of my current customers really like the diapers the way they are, and there’s really nothing to be gained by switching.

I will say that I am kind of tired of the internet “knowledge” that rolled leg styles leak more than topstitched leg styles do.  Based on anecdotal evidence, it would seem that wicking/leaking at the legs has more to do with your baby’s shape and what you stuff them with than anything else. Some families/babies find that they prefer sewn legs and some find they prefer rolled legs.

Stuffing

As for stuffing your pockets, you may use anything you like. Personally, I recommend prefolds – they’re absorbent, multi-purpose, and inexpensive. I sell special inserts, and recommend using two of those for an average use, but if you’re looking for economical, prefolds are really the way to go.

Some people really like microfiber terry as inserts. Personally, I do not have good experience with microfiber terry, but plenty of people do. (Plus, honestly, I really don’t like the way microfiber terry feels.)

All About: Fleece Wraps (Covers)

Wallypop fleece covers. I love them, personally. I wrote about this recently here.

The fleece

I only use very particular fleeces for my covers. I use these fleeces because I think they are the very best for covers. I arrived at this conclusion based on my own experience and research, as well as the experiences of others.

I only use Malden Mills brand fleece. They developed fleece a while back, and the continue to produce the highest-quality fleece available. Their fleece does not pill, fade, or mat.

I only use Malden Mill’s Windpro or Windbloc fleece. These particular fleeces are water (and wind) proof, yet breatheable. Malden Mills says of WindPro, “The tight knit construction of the Polartec Wind Pro blocks 95% of the wind, yet is highly breathable…This fabric is intended for outerwear garments.” They describe Windbloc as having “a 100% windproof, water-resistant, breathable barrier, eliminating the need for a windbreaker or other additional shell. They are ideal for outdoor activities when cold and inclement weather demand high-perfomance outer protection.”

Within these two categories of fleece, I have a list of about 10 style numbers I feel are the very best for covers. I try to stick to those style numbers.

I am often asked why the Fleece covers are available only in boring colors, usually darker colors. Well, these are the colors the fabric is available in. It’s made for high-end sporting goods like jackets for backpackers. I could probably get different colors if I had it milled specially for me, but then I’d have to either buy like 30 times the amount I normally do, or I’d have to charge you double. Or both.

Construction

I make my fleece covers with HEMMED edges at the legs and waist, rather than using elastic binding. A few babies are sensitive to the elastic binding, and also it can tend to wick. Sewing them with hidden elastic and a hemmed seam eliminates both of these problems, and provides for a better fit, in my opinion. I’ve made myself some fleece covers using elastic binding, but I still prefer the hemmed edges, so that’s what I stock for the store. (Yes, many of my business decisions are based on what I personally prefer!)

In-stock fleece covers are made with Touchtape with the usual fold-back laundry tabs and crossover tabs at the waist. They are also available with snap closures if you order made to order.

When do I use fleece covers?

Personally, I tend to use fleece covers at night or when Genna’s wearing a shirt with pants, or a shirt without pants, or a loose one-piece outfit. I don’t use fleece covers with onesies or tighter-fitting one-piece outfits. I would not use a fleece cover for a long car trip. Fleece CAN be prone to compression wicking, meaning that when it gets pressure (like from a tight onesie or pressure of sitting in a carseat for long periods), it can wick through. Wicking generally does not cause WET clothes like leaking will, but it causes DAMP clothes.

All About: All In One Diapers

All In One diapers.

First, why I make them the way I do.

I give customers so many options with AIOs because I’ve found that everyone wants something slightly different. While most styles of AIO are made with hidden elastic, some (the feel-wet inners) are made with elastic binding. Elastic binding simply works best for the feel-wet inners, whereas hidden elastic tends to work better for the other styles.

I don’t topstitch AIOs. When I first started making AIOs, I found that I had more wicking problems with them when they were topstitched, and also that I preferred to have the legs roll out anyway. Now that I’ve had a second baby, I’ve tried some AIOs both ways – topstitched, as well as not topstitched – and have really not had any preference, or found any difference in performance.

My personal favorite AIO style is with a feel-wet (flannel) inner and edge-sewn soaker. That said, I am not a huge fan of AIOs. They take a long time to dry. They don’t perform as well as a two-piece system, and they’re completely inflexible. AIOs are the absolute last thing I reach for.

Second, inventory.

I don’t currently have AIOs in inventory. AIOs are not my best selling product. I mean, they sell OK, but I don’t sell through them as fast as many other products, so they tend to be lower on my priority list for restocking. I’m also currently of two minds with the AIOs. I have historically inventoried AIOs with hidden soakers, but I’m leaning towards inventorying the edge-sewn soakers when I restock. These are, however, a bit harder/more time consuming to make, and I’m not sure if that would necessitate a price change.

Third, customer response to the AIOs.

AIOs receive the most varied feedback of any of our products. I think this is true of most brands of AIOs, and likely stems from the fact that, with an AIO in particular, fit is so important. A bit loose, a bit tight, not absorbent enough – it will cause leaking.

Those who like the AIOs, seem to really really love them. And then some people really really don’t like them. (Or, more accurately, they want to like them, but they just simply do not work for their kid.) Yes, it’s hard to tell in advance which camp you’ll fall into. However, I can almost guarantee you that if you buy 2 dozen of them, you’ll be one of those for whom they don’t work.

Fourth, washing and drying. I get this question a lot: aren’t all in ones hard to get clean?

I can see why you might think so. However, after receiving back one of my original AIOs after it saw use by several families and for several years, I cut it open to check it out, and it was completely clean. They need to be washed thoroughly, and dried thoroughly, but they get just as clean as anything else.

All About… Fitted Diapers

Fitted diapers are the item that started it all. My very first dipes were fitteds. They were uglier than sin. I drafted a pattern from scratch and put it together. Actually, it was a pretty good shot for a first attempt at a from-scratch pattern, but it quickly underwent numerous changes before I had some online friends give them a try on their kiddos. Then they were much refined after Wally was born, and underwent one last major pattern revision about 3 years ago.

I make my basic fitteds out of flannel fabric. I use flannel because it wears well, is soft and absorbent, and easy to get in cute prints. Flannel is fairly inexpensive compared to the other options for fitteds, keeping them in line with my goal of affordable prices.

I use cotton sherpa in the inside, it’s very absorbent without the stiffness you get from terry, and without the weight and density of many layers of flannel. I don’t use microfiber inside fitteds unless requested to do so – microfiber is good at absorbing quickly (for a time) but does not HOLD the liquid. Additionally, drying microfiber drastcally shortens its useful life.

I turn and topstitch rather than overcasting (serging) the edges because I like the look better – it looks more finished to me. I don’t topstitch stretchy fabrics like Tshirts, hemp, etc., only the flannel. The stretchy fabrics look better without the topstitching, in my opinion. Topstitching really doesn’t affect function.

The patterns I use were developed through trial and error, mostly with Wally as a baby, and with fellow mamas as testers. They seem to have a wide range of body types they fit, and they are engineered to make the most efficient use of fabric. The medium, in particular, has a crazy wide weight range. I love it. I kept dinking with it until it would fit the large end of the range as well as it fit the small end.

I personally prefer edge-sewn soakers. They give you the most absorbency with the shortest dry time and the least amount of work while doing laundry.

Some people prefer hidden soakers, this gives you a cleaner look, but takes a bit longer to dry.

Other options that people have asked for include snap-in soakers and lay-in soakers. Snap-in soakers are a lot like edge-sewn soakers, except that the soaker can some out, which is appealing to some people. Lay-in soakers, I’ll be honest, I just don’t understand. You have two pieces to keep track of and match up when putting clean dipes away. Two pieces to keep together in the diaper bag. Etc.

And that’s all about Fitted diapers. Got a question I didn’t answer? Post in the comments.