You will have to make your own pattern - you could use Erin's draftalong pattern, or take an existing diaper to trace or start from one of your own patterns and adjust.
Notes:
* Use small ballpoint needles (I use size 10)
* Once the diaper is made, wash on hot and dry on hot to help seal up sewn holes.
* PUL will stick to your presserfoot so whenever the laminated side is out, place that on the bottom on the feeddogs instead of up facing the presserfoot.
* Elastic measurements can be tailored to the size of your baby. Make one before cuting out lots to make sure the size is what you like. Unless the baby isn't here yet of course
Don't make the elastic too too tight, just stretch it moderately so that you are sinching up the fabric without completely pulling it together.
* Make a second template for your microfleece and make it smaller than the PUL since microfleece stretches so much - it will be much easier to sew this way.
* In most of the pictures, I didn't have the extra help to show how I was sewing the elastic, but when I'm sewing I have the right hand behind the presserfoot pulling the fabric through, and the left hand on the fabric holding the elastic in place and stretching it.
* Sewing the casing is IMPORTANT around the leg elastic. I made some that are more like happy heiny's where the leg casing isn't sewn and the elastic is just sewn to the seam. They leaked b/c the microfleece wicked the moisture out and the microfleece was folding out of the dipes.
* I wash and dry my pocket diapers on hot so that they don't get all pilly. I used to line dry the pocket diapers and machine dry the inserts and then I just started throwing them all together in the dryer. But do what works for your washing routine.
**********DIRECTIONS***********
Copy your pattern onto the PUL and the microfleece. I like malden mills microchamois the best. Stretch should go from side to side.
Mark snap placement for the belly panel and put snaps on. You can reinforce the snaps by putting an extra piece of PUL or microfleece on the inside if you would like. I put sockets on the belly and studs on the wings. I didn't reinforce these diapers I'm making now.
Serge the top edge of the diaper where the elastic casing or foldover part is.
On the PUL piece, you will make a casing for elastic. Place your elastic along the back and fold over the pul flap to create a casing. You will sew a "U" - along the sides and along the back. Make sure the stitching goes over the elastic on both sides and that you don't sew ontop of the elastic along the back. I like to do some back-and-forth stitches whenever I sew over the elastic for reinforcement.
Once you sew the first side and along the back and you are about to sew the last side, pull the elastic through the casing you just created. You can pull it by sight, or mark a mark that you will see when you pull it through for consistent elastic size. Pull it through and then pivot your work and sew over the last side and the elastic.
I don't really see a need to put elastic in the microfleece as it just adds bulk, but you could. I just sew up the flap with no elastic.
Now it's time to sew together the PUL and microfleece. You can use a serger or a sewing machine. I just started serging b/c it's a little faster. If you sew, just keep your seam allowance around 1/4" so you don't have too much excess fabric when you turn it. So right sides together, you start to serge the two pieces together. I always put the pul side down. I start at the elastic casing and sew the two up together some.
If serging, don't bother turning corners, just serge up each edge individually leaving a tail. I like using woolynylon for this so that it doesn't want to unravel later.
When I come up along that last edge where the casings are, I again just serge right over those a little bit so that I catch all the stitching around there.
The only tails I tuck are the ones at the casing where the two pieces are sewn together (I trim the tails where I serge the edges of each individual casing) since they could poke out of the diaper at the opening.
Now mark the elastic start and end points on the microfleece part of the diaper
I mark the length of elastic I'm going to use and then sew it on with a regular zigzag onto the edge of the diaper. Sewing right onto the serging and off of it into the inside of the diaper. You can see that I'm pulling the diaper through with my right hand a little bit and then pulling the elastic and stretching and placing it with my left hand.
Once leg elastic is sewn onto both sides of the diaper turn it so that it is right side out. Now you need to sew the leg casings around the elastic. Switch to a straight stitch. When you start, start at an angle and then curve along the edge to make a casing. Since your elastic is sewn onto the edge, you can go in fairly close to the elastic without worrying that it will slip and get sewn over. Again I go back and forth over the start and end points to secure the elastic.
Now put the wing studs on. I typically put them as close to the edge of the corner as possible.
I mate the snap of the corner with the first inside belly snap and then determine where the other stud is going to go by pairing it up with the bottom row of snaps on the diaper.
Here is the finished pocket diaper. It will need an insert to absorb the body fluids. I will try to put together a little sew=along for those too one of these days. I use hemp fleece or hemp french terry (preferably FT)
I need to remember to add a tab to my patterns so I can simply fold it down instead of cutting a casing in my seam allowance for elastic like I'm doing now.
Linear Mode
