Cloth Diapering How-To

How to Make an Upcycled Wool Soaker

By Ashlee ⋅ December 14, 2009 ⋅  Print This Post ⋅ Post a comment

There are several benefits to pullingwool diaper covers over your baby’s cloth diapers. The style of wool diaper cover shown below is called a wool soaker.

This wool soaker is economically sewn from recycled wool. So whether you already love wool soakers, or perhaps want to try them for the first time – you can start with minimal investment by sewing one from an upcycled sweater.

Items needed to sew a wool soaker:

• Wool Sweater
• Elastic
• Polyester thread (not cotton – it absorbs urine)
• Safety Pin
• Scissors
• Sewing Machine
• Serger (optional)

1. First you need a wool sweater. This one is 100% Lambs Wool. Wash it on hot with a little bit of soap then dry on high to felt. This makes the weave tighter and in my opinion, the sweater softer. Your sweater will shrink when you do this, so the bigger the sweater, the better!

2. I chose to use a soaker I already had as a guide for my pattern. it was too big for my new baby, but I liked the design so I am altering it to fit.

3. You need a sewing machine. Mine is almost as basic as they come. (This one is actually a friends because mine went kaput.)

4. A serger is optional. It gives a finished look, but you can skip this step and still have a great cover.

5. I laid my cover on my sweater to find a good placement, but promptly forgot to take a photo until after I cut…oops!

6. Since you don’t have this particular cover to trace I will give you some hints. These measurements are for a small cover. This will fit a newborn to about 12 pounds. To accommodate a bigger baby, add 1.5 inches for Medium and 3 inches for Large. Find the middle of the sweater bottom and mark, measure 4 inches on each side. Measure 6 inches from the bottom of the sweater toward the middle. These will be the sides of your diaper.

Cut making sure there are 8 inches between the sides. Now mark your halfway point; this should be about 8 inches in. Measure off 2.5 inches to the right and left of your halfway point mark. This is the crotch. Now connect the end point of the sides you cut to the end point of your crotch. These will be your leg holes. Fold that part up as shown.

7. Now use this as a template to cut the other side. This is what you should have.

8. Fold in half and make sure you are even (I had some trimming to do).

9. Take your cuffs and cut about 1 inch up from the ribbed part. This is for your seam allowance.

10. After both cuffs are cut, this is what you should have. It is okay if they don’t line up perfectly.

11. Sew up the sides. Make sure to backstitch at the beginning and end. All seam allowances are 1/4 inch.

12. Repeat on other side.

13. This is what you should have.

14. Next take the cuff.

15. Put the cuff inside the body as shown. Note the seams on the body are still inside out; the cuff is not. Keep it just as shown in the previous picture. Line up the edges. Now, if you have a serger, that is next. If not, skip ahead to the next step.

16. Serge the edges. Set dials according to your machines instructions.

17. This is what you should have.

18. Must trim those threads.

19. This is your next step if you serged or not. Stitch around your leg cuffs. I do this several times.

20. Around again.

21. Repeat on both leg cuffs.

22. Peek down at the sweet baby in the sling…yep, still snoozing!

23. Pin your waistband down about an inch all the way around.

24. Start in the middle of the back waistband.

25. Sew around waistband but STOP 1 inch short of the beginning stitch. Back stitch at start and end.

26. Get your elastic. I like the poly braided kind.

27. Measure around the waist of your cover. Now subtract 1.5 inches and cut.

28. Fasten a safety pin to one end of your elastic. The bigger, the better…this was all I had on hand.

29. Thread the safety pin through the waistband channel. Make sure you hold onto the end. You will be really upset if you don’t!

30. Pin your ends together after you thread it all the way through. This will keep the end from slipping back into the channel.

31. Stitch your elastic together. I go back and forth at least 4 times. I do not sew my small opening closed in case I need to access the elastic again. I find it really hard to seam rip on wool. But if you prefer to close it up, go ahead!

32. Voila! A great wool soaker for your baby’s wool diaper cover collection! Easy Peasy, huh?

GUEST BLOGGER

Ashlee is a follower of Christ, wife, mom of many, and artist.

You can read more about Ashlee at her blog, {let my lifesong sing] and check out her designs on Etsy at Tweet Designs.

Tags: baby's cloth diapers, how to make a wool soaker, how to make an upcycled wool soaker, recycled wool diaper covers, SOAKERS, sweater soakers, wool cover styles, wool diaper soakers, wool soakers

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