I have learnt 2 things today!

I've had a very rewarding day!

look at that floaty-less golden liquid!

First off I decided to make some more liquid soapnuts, but I needed to strain the mixture to try to stop little bits of soapnut getting into the liquid... being that I need a new sieve, I really had nothing to use - but in a moment of genius, decided to try a couple of disposable diaper liners - and it worked!  I put the two liners on the top of the jar, and kind of poked them inside a little, then with one hand around the neck of the jar, I poured the mixture into the jar with the other..... and it was a great success!  After I'd strained all the liquid, I put the soapnuts inside the liners and then squeezed out the excess saponin into my liquid soapnuts...  it stopped my hands from smelling quite so much like soapnuts, and was also a lot less messy.  Upon further inspection, I was unable to really see any floaties in the liquid - and then patted myself on the back, for a job well done.

my cute little model

Freshly converted prefold-fitted!

Another thing I learnt today, is that I'm quite clever.  Really.  With Emersyn's blister issue, I have been using prefolds - and because of my newfound love of fitteds, I decided to have a look online and see how easy it would be to convert some prefolds into fitteds.  Not too hard, so it seemed.  I armed myself with a prefold, my pattern, my scissors, elastic and my sewing machine, and after not too long (an hour?) I finished and held the completed diaper in my hand.  And it looked pretty good!  The sewing on it was pretty rushed - because I made it while Emersyn was asleep, but it's definitely something that'll be easy to make look tidier, with a little extra time.  I followed this tutorial, and found that making it was actually easier than I had thought it'd be after reading the tutorial, I think anyone who can sew a straight line, would be fine with attempting this particular tutorial - and I can't imagine that others would be overly different.  I used toddler size Real Nappies prefolds, because I find the size down aren't able to be snappi'ed comfortably now, but at the same time the toddler size is ENORMOUS...  I think the size is pretty good for Emersyn - it'll allow for growth, but at the same time the rise is somewhat adjustable, so it fits - as a fitted - perfectly. 

Having SEW much fun!

I got a sewing machine for my birthday and have been giving it a whirl...  I have to say that even though I HATED sewing at high school, I'm having a LOT of fun sewing now!  I've pretty much mastered the art of fleece soakers, and have even made a pair of fleece longies - which were really easy, probably easier than the soakers.  My sister and I are starting a cloth-related business, so I've been practicing making some items we are hoping to sell - and it keeps me occupied for hours on end.

My latest fleece soaker.... I call this 'watermelon'!

There is something so... rewarding... about sewing - because within a matter of minutes you have a product developing right in front of your eyes, and with items like soakers it is literally minutes until you've got a finished product RIGHT there, ready to use.  I enjoy knitting, but hate that it takes so long to see major results - well, when it comes to me it does anyway.  Sewing hasn't really cost me a lot to date - most of the fabric I've been using has been fabric I've already had at home - old fleece blankets, tops etc...  Can't complain when you have a store quality item, that hasn't cost you anything - or has cost you verrrry little.

I have to give big ups to 'Katrina' who has put her soaker pattern on her blog for anyone to use - it's the soaker pattern that I use (and LOVE), she has various sizes, and also patterns for making larger soakers (up to XXXL I believe), and for longies/shorties.  You can find the blog & pattern here Katrina's Free Soaker Pattern, the patterns themselves are on the right hand tool bar, if you scroll down a bit (in line with the 'Just a Soaker' blog post).  What I really really love is that she has given permission for the pattern to be used for commercial use - so long as you donate to particular organisations, or make one to give away for the price of postage.

I am attempting to make breastpads and mama cloth at the moment too, and while nothing I've made is FABULOUS, it's all very functional, and I am learning as I go.  It's nice to experiment with fabric and with various stitches...  After almost 5 years of feeling like I'm 'just a Mum', it is nice to be doing something that makes me feel like I'm contributing in some way - I'm doing something that is completely seperate from 'just being a Mum'.. and it makes me feel really good about myself.

I wish I could share more about our business plans - but that will all come out soon!

Until then, I'm armed with my sewing machine, PUL, bamboo, hemp, microfleece, suede cloth, flanelette, aplix, FOE... and many glorious sewing related bits and pieces...

Creativity has its price...

My first ever PUL cover...

I got a fancy new sewing machine for my birthday, so have been getting a bit out of my comfort zone and attempting to sew all manner of cloth diaper related items.  I have generally had success - which is a lovely feeling, and I'm feeling quite proud of myself.  I made my hardest thing yet on Saturday night - a PUL diaper cover/wrap... I used velcro/aplix for the first time, and FOE (fold over elastic), and was amazed when the wrap was finished and actually looked half decent.

Action shot...

I was confident enough that it was functional enough to use, so put it on Emersyn on Sunday morning - we did a little photo shop, and I assessed my work, noticed a few areas that needed some tweaking etc.  Generally I just looked at the wrap and felt rather pleased with myself.  A functional PUL cover, made by ME - who would have thunk it?

Nap time rolled around and Emersyn was in the wrap, with a trifolded prefold underneath.  I noticed a little of the cotton that was holding one of the velcro tabs on had come a bit loose, but made the executive decision that it was still able to be used.  I'd just sew it on a bit better after her nap.

Lesson one - NEVER send a product out (even if it's just to your daughter) if you aren't 100% happy with the workmanship.

Emersyn went to sleep - and ended up having a rather hefty nap.  I decided  after 2 hours that I should go in and check on her, just incase she was awake and was up to mischief.  Not that she could get up to a lot of mischief in her cot.  Right?

Upon opening the door I was met with a wall of STENCH...  "Oh my - she must have done a might big poo", I thought to myself - suddenly wishing that I had actually Snappi'ed the prefold...  Oh well - she had a cover on - the mess would be limited to that.  Right?

NO.

Uh oh.

Looking at my daughter the first thing that struck me was that she had a bare bum.  The second thing that struck me?  Poos.  Everywhere.  Sheets, blankets, quilt, blankie, arms, legs, tummy, face, in between toes, on bottoms of feet, dummy/pacifier...  She was SOUND asleep - and all I could do was look at the scene in front of me in dismay, while compiling a 'to do' list in my head.  Run bath, bath child, strip cot, wash ALL bedding, wash the cot down, make bed....  I rang my Mum to share the news with her, and it was then that Emersyn woke up - in a rather festive mood...

I knew that I had to either see the funny side in the situation, or cry cry cry.. being that I was in a good mood, I saw the funny side.  Being upset about it wasn't going to clean the mess up!

I ran a bath, then put Emersyn in it.. and after two changes of bath water she was sufficiently clean.  Got her dried and dressed, then attacked the bedding - which I threw outside, because my washing machine had recently finished a hot wash, and after a hot wash it takes a couple of hours to work again.  Yea, perfect timing for THAT to happen!

Eventually the bedding got washed, and the cot got re-made... and we all lived happily ever after - and I learnt a few little lessons along the way, one of the most important?? REINFORCE REINFORCE REINFORCE TABS!

Who knew it could be so easy?

After all my night time diapering dramas, I have suddenly found the perfect night time diapering solution for Emersyn.  I'm using a fitted - or a pocket, with a pad folded flat as a booster, then putting a fleece cover or a woolen cover over top... and bobs your uncle!  No leaks, no wet clothes, no wet bedding - and not a lot of bulk either!  I forgot how absorbent a simple pad folded flat can be.  I think all I need now is to get my A into G & make some fleece liners, so that they can have a staydry layer, and it'll be perfect.

I don't even really care which fitted or pocket I use, because I know that the addition of the pad folded flat will give me enough absorbency (me/her) - and with the wool or fleece cover over top, it's pretty much a bullet proof solution!  When I use a pocket diaper, I use two microfiber inserts as well, but I could probably get away with just using one.

I think the ONE thing I have learnt from all this night time drama, is that the COVER you use is the most important factor, and that pocket diapers often leak if they are by themselves, no matter how perfect the fit is.  Obviously with wool and fleece you do need a reasonable amount of absorbency in the actual diaper, but if you do have enough, the wool/fleece is essentially bullet proof (well, wee proof!).

It makes me laugh to think that for SOOOOOOOOOO many months I refused to use fitteds overnight (and to be honest, I have no idea why...) - and in the end it was FITTEDS that were part of the solution.

Now to get my hands on more woolen soakers, and to make some more fleece soakers - the perfect task for my new sewing machine I'm getting tomorrow! (happy birthday to MEEEEEE)...

Have any of my readers fallen in love with wool or fleece for night time?

Especially for Bronny...

I made this fleece soaker for [my niece] Bronny, and have to say I am very impressed with it - definitely the best sewing I've ever done

a milestone most look forward to

... a milestone that all parents seem to look forward to, is their child being potty trained and out of diapers - a case of "yay, no more shitty diapers to change"... but for me, I am actually dreading when the time comes that Emersyn is ready to potty train.  I am loving cloth diapering so much, that I wish I could do it again and again and again, but considering the fact I have had my tubes tied - this is it for me, no more babies - which means no more babies to cloth diaper.

SAD.

I am trying to think of how I can continue my love of cloth diapering, when it is something that will no longer be a physical part of my life.  At the moment, I am hoping that maybe I'll have the sewing skill and ability by then, to actually make my own diapers to sell... at least then I can give the cloth diaper bug to others, even if I can't use them myself.

I guess there aren't many parents who can say "I am going to miss diapering", so I guess that goes to show just how un-terrible and un-disgusting cloth diapering actually is. 

getting my creative groove on

Anyone who knows me 'in real life' will know that I am NOT the most creative person in the world - hell, I'm not even the 5,000,000,000th most creative person in the world, but it seems that I am starting to become a little of a wannabe homemaker, because I have started SEWING...  Sewing is something that's never interested me until now - at high school I failed our little sewing module terribly... possibly because my best friend and I were paired up and were more interested in breaking our machine.............

Moving on... A couple of weeks ago [or was it last week??] I completed my VERY first sewing project EVER..... a pretty pink fleece soaker for Emersyn.  I think I have mentioned it on my blog, but keep forgetting to put photos up - because I've been concentrating so much on the night time issues we were having.  But now that's all resolved, I've had time to actually do some of the bloggy things I've been meaning to do, including posting these photos of my very first soaker.

front view of the soaker - not too bad if I say so myself 

and the back...

 THEN yesterday I decided "hey, why not try to make a proper diaper", so got my thinking cap on, and decided that I could probably trace around a diaper I already have - and use that for my initial shape, then surely I could just use some fabric for the outside, the inside - and the absorbent pads inside the diaper, which I decided had to be a fitted that pins up [because I lack elastic and velcro or snaps, and waterproof material]....  what follows are the photos of the diaper that I saw in my mind - and it's actually turned out to be pretttttty much exactly what I had imagined in my mind...

diaper in its pre-use state

my little Emmy-Boo modelling it

action shot number 1

action shot number 2

What none of the above photos tell you, is that BOTH of my creations were made using recycled fabrics that I already had at home...  The fleece soaker was once upon a time a big fleece blanket, that had gotten a bit ratty over time, and the fitted I made?  The outer material is from a baby blanket that is no longer in use, the inner fabric is from a long sleeve t-shirt that I no longer wear - and the absorbent pad inside the diaper is made from the sleeves of the long sleeve t-shirt. 

I believe the term for all of this is 'upcycling' - and I quite like the concept too.  I now find myself looking at clothing and manchester in a whole new way, particularly fleece that has embroidery on it.... infact the soaker I'm working on now has a butterfly on the back - that was once on the fleece blanket.  I always feel like I"m wasting things when I throw them away, or shove them in the wardrobe knowing they'll never be used again, but now it's kind of like these items get a new lease on life.....