Sew Your Own Diapers

These are the instructions for making a HBPocket. Made from the Honeyboy pattern.

This is my big roll of pattern tracing paper. It’s a roll of printing press paper. I think it’s by HP. It works so great and was pretty cheap for hundreds of yards. Onto the instructions…..
Trace your HB Home pattern in the size you want. Cut it out. Lay it on another piece of paper and trace it again with a 1/4″ seam allowance all the way around.
Now take that pattern and lay it on another piece of paper and trace around again. Only this time laying a ruler between the elastic markings on the legs and draw a straight line from mark to mark. Round and soften the mark where the regular pattern meets the extending line.
Now you have 2 pattern pieces for cutting out your fabric. The big leg one is for the outer WP layer and the smaller leg one is for the inner Micro layer.
Now fold your WP fleece and lay the patterns straight edge on the fold line. Cut around the pattern. Do the same for the micro layer using the other pattern.
Now you have both your fabric pieces cut out. Lay them right sides together.
Transfer all markings onto the wrong side of the WP layer with tailors chalk. On my lines I also mark a little big past the elastic size I’m using.
On the RIGHT side of the WP layer mark where the tab goes.
Place your tab in and pin on both sides to keep it in place.
Pin all the way around lining up all raw edges except the front area. Sew on your Aplix, then pin the rest. The WP layer will be baggy. Starting at the back on the elastic line, sew around diaper with a 1/4″ seam allowance.
Ugh, blurry picture!! As your sewing with your 1/4″ allowance you come to the spot where you are going to tack on your elastic. If your using 3/8″ elastic you need the seam bigger than 1/4″. So jog in slightly towards the top of the T and jog back to the edge after you pass it.  Or when you trace your pattern in the beginning you can trace with a 1/2″ seam allowance.  I don’t like that so I stick with 1/4″
After your done sewing the diaper together, tack the elastic on the chalk lines you have marked. Pull the elastic tight and tack on the other mark. Do the same for the other side.
Here’s a picture of the WP side of the diaper before it’s turned with the elastic sewn to the legs.
Now it’s time to sew the elastic onto the opening in the back. I use 1/4″ elastic. Tack the elastic onto just the WP layer on the elastic line or as close as you can get to it without sewing through the micro layer. Leave about 1/8″ WP sticking up top of the elastic.
Do the same for the micro layer. Here’s a picture of the elastic sewn to the WP layer and the micro layer before it’s turned.
Stick the free arm of your sewing machine inside the pocket opening. Fold the raw edge of the opening over the elastic and straight stitch all the way across being “very” careful not to sew through the elastic.
Here’s what the pocket looks like before the diaper is turned.
After you turn the diaper, sew a straight stitch through the 2 layers at the very edge of the opening…right where the elastic is tacked on.
Here’s a blurry close-up to show you what I mean above.
Here’s the pocket opening after the diaper is turned and the ends are tacked.
Here’s a little trick I do even on regular HB Homes. Before you start your topstitching, pin the layers together in the middle making sure the layers are even…the same amount of WP on each side.
I don’t know if you can make this out or not, but when you are topstitching jut into the diaper at the elastic. Continue to topstitch in the microfleece layer until you reach the folded over WP layer.
Here you will want to stitch in the ditch all the way down until you get to the microfleece again and then after the elastic, jut back out to your 1/4″ topstitching. Make sure your elastic is inside the fold over WP layer.
Here’s what the inside looks like after it’s been topstitched.
Here’s the outside view of the unstuffed HBPocket. I’m not too happy with my tabs. I should have done two trains instead of words on one side. Don’t like it!
Serge together a big square of your two soaker materials. I use nantucket or burley terry and a layer of thin twill.
Fold into 3rds and stuff inside the diaper. I put the seam side towards the front so baby can’t feel it.
Here’s the finished product all stuffed!