How the flat fitted is made:

I used Little Comet Tails, One Size fits all pattern, but you can use any large diaper pattern. There are several for free online. For this tutorial I used cheap flour sack towels from Walmart, they run about a dollar a flat. I will say that it was easier to make with the GMD large flats. They are bigger/wider, thicker and of much higher quality fabric. Two of my flour sack towels had tears in the fabric after being washed!

Wash and iron the flats first. Take two flats, matching seams and right sides together then pin to keep from shifting.

This works best if you have two patterns cut, but I didn't, so I used pins to outline the edge of the pattern and repinned to get a better fit.

Example of how the pattern should be laid out.

Place your diaper patterns on top, with the front of the diaper (where the pocket opening will be) near the seam or serged edge on the bottom and the other one reversed on the top. It doesn't matter if the edge is pretty far from the pattern, just extend the line to the seam. This lets you skip a step when sewing and leaves enough extra fabric to fold over the flat insert.

Make sure one wing is at the very edge of the selvage. It sometimes takes a little adjustment if you only have one pattern. I pinned around the edge of the wing and part of the leg opening, and adjusted the pattern pieces to accommodate each other. Trace your pattern out with washable marker or pin.

Patterns pinned out to fit.

Cut out and sew the diaper together leaving the front pocket open.

 Cut out pieces.

Front pocket opening.

Sew together leaving front edge open.

Mark all elastic attachment sites for both diapers.

Attach one end of the elastic to the seam allowance using a zigzag stitch going back and forth to attach it firmly to the seam.

Stretch the elastic tight to the next mark, pin and sew. Cut off the extra elastic. Attach only the ends of the  elastic at marked points.

 Stretched out elastic.

Pinned at elastic mark.

Once all the elastic is attached, turn right side out and top stitch, making sure not to catch the elastic as you sew around.

 Top sew around edge.

 When you reach the elastic pull the seam out and carefully go around

Take your time here!

**Finished with the flat fitted!**

 This shows the pocket flap folded over to adjust rise.

Flat Inserts:

You will find you have two largish pieces when you are finished cutting out your diaper shapes. You can get two newborn flats out of these pieces. Trim the edges of one to make a rectangle and use that as a template for the next. The flour sack towels were pretty small and I could use a sheet of paper for a template.

You can serge or turn and top-stitch. If you turn and top-stitch, leave the selvage edge open, then you don't have to turn the edge under to keep from fraying.  Now you have a flat doubler or a newborn flat to go with your diaper.

Now you have 2 pockets and 2 doublers from 2 flats. If you bought a 5 pack from Walmart you will have three extra flats left. Cut one in half and turn and top-stitch each one like a pillowcase. You just made 2  small flat inserts for your flat fitteds.

The other two flats will be used to stuff for sizes medium to large. Now you have two flat fitteds that will fit any size baby with any flat insert combination, with doublers for night or liners to catch poo.

 Flat fitted with a flat insert.

 Stuffed and folded down to size.

Folded and ready to go! Very trim and easy to slap on a wiggly toddler.

Flat Challenge Day 7

Reflections on the Week

The main reason I joined the Flat Challenge, is to see how my new flats and flat fitteds, wore, washed and dried for our annual rustic camping trip this summer. Here is a final analysis:  

Break down on dry times Outside in 86 degrees:

* Flats folded in half to reduce line space, ran about 3 hours to dry. Laid out flat to dry they took less than 2 hours. It's nice to know the heat wave we're having is good for something! 

* Flat fitteds ran about 3 hours and 20 minutes, they were still a touch damp around some parts of the elastic casing when the folded flats were dry. 

* Bamboo Terry took longer about 4 1/2 hours total. 

* Disana Tie Nappies were the longest coming in at 6 hours folded in half and 5 hours laid flat

Flat fitted: I was very impressed with my flat fitteds! They worked exceptionally well and dried just about as fast as the flats folded in half, which is how I normally dry flats when we camp. I will definitely be taking these on our next trip! I will probably use them at night too, with an extra newborn flat or two for doublers. I'm testing this out tonight, to see if it will hold it all in.

Bamboo flat: As I expected these did take longer to dry. If we weren't experiencing high temperatures it would probably take much longer, and if it rains I'm not sure it would be dry by morning! For home application or for camping at one site for an extended period of time, these would make nice a trim overnight flat. On the road, dry by morning? I have my doubts! I will try this again later during a rain storm and cooler temperatures and see how the dry times compare. 

Disana Tie Nappy: I was happy about the fit and his inability to take them off, however I could not wring them out very well. To give them them some credit, I was a little afraid to go to town on them, like I did the others, hence the longer dry times. Once out and drying, I found the knit to accumulate debris. After accidentally dropping one on my porch, I spent a good 5 minutes picking stuff off as it wouldn't shake off.  I will not be bringing these along, camping is not the place for things that can't be dropped in the dirt.   

Here the winner is:

Certainly not the cheapest way to cloth diaper because you would need to stuff with another flat of some kind, but you do need less covers with a fitted so it works out in the end. I especially like using fitteds with wool covers, because you have less leakage and you wouldn't have to hand wash the covers but once a week.

These wash easier than the bamboo terry flats and are easier to manage because they have less fabric to manipulate in the bucket. Easy to put on a wiggly baby and still get a good fit, they are the best of two worlds!

Here is the flat fitted in action at its largest setting with a small GMD flat pad folded inside.

Here is the flat fitted with the rise folded down to the newborn size, and a newborn flat/doubler pad folded inside.

If you would like to know how to make a flat fitted I am in the process of making a tutorial. 

Flat Challenge Day 6

Today's Topic: Old Fashioned Wash Tubs and New! 
 Real men washing laundry!
Plus, our night time flat solution!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wHZg35cGCzo&feature=related

This museum of manual washers is intense!

I had no idea so many different types of manual washers had been invented!!

Here is a great clip about handwashing pioneer style:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=duJr4owjpOE&feature=fvwrel
Have to love a man in a bandanna!

Here is a manual washer for modern times :)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R1hD-KYfmIY&feature=related
^^If I ever have to live without a washer and dryer, I want this set ^^
Well at least the washer and a nice hand wringer!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D_7WDQvfbO4&feature=related
Very entertaining to watch LOL. Not sure how the salad spinner washer works in real life. I will say that if it really spins the water out this is the one to go with!

<3 It makes my day to see men washing laundry <3

Here is my Hubby handwashing tonight.
He is demonstrating the side plunge method from the comfort of a stool.
He said it brought back memories and it's certainly good exercise!

On to the the Night Time Diapering Solution!

We use flats for nights once the babies are eating more than nursing. Otherwise we simply can't get the urine smell out. In the past we have used GMD large flats graduating to flannel flats as the pee's get heavier and heavier. This Year I made double bamboo flats and they are awesome. Since we have a super soaker I actually add a newborn bamboo flat as a doubler. Over all of this goes the upcycled wool soaker.

Toddler Bamboo terry flat with newborn terry flat doubler.

With woolie soaker over bamboo flats; pretty trim, extremely absorbent and totally breathable!

In the morning I throw the flats in a bucket of warm water, plunge a stroke or two, and use the diaper duck to squeeze the extra water out. I turn the cover inside out and hang to air. If I have a poo to wash I clip the Diaper Butler to one edge of the diaper (usually the cleanest), dunk and swish in the toilet, then hang it over the edge of a bucket of water and let the diaper soak until wash time.

Flat Challenge Day 5

Today's Topic: What have I learned so far?

1.) I'm willing to let 2 days go by before washing, then washing 2 loads, crashing on the couch and muttering about my stupidity and rubbing my arms. Yes, you should wash everyday, your arms will thank you!

2.) My FIL thinks I'm either NUTS or Bad-A**! He kept giving me inscrutable looks when I talked about handwashing before he left. I will have to ask him about it. Some people will think you are crazy or awesome depending on how they view cloth diapering to begin with, just ignore the looks and keep talking.

3.) I need to explain things better. My Husband couldn't figure out how to tie the Disana tie nappies, and ended up with a terrible knot that he was going to CUT OFF when he went to change the diaper later. Thank goodness I over heard him yelling for an older boy to grab a pair of scissors for him. I rushed in to rescue my brand new tie nappy and spent a good 5 minutes undoing it and calling in all my parenting skills and knitting genius when it comes to untangling knots. He was sure a simple bow tie would not foil our Houdini, which is why he went with the triple hangman's noose thingy he invented. After explaining that a bow tie works perfectly because he can't reach it, things settled down a bit, and now he loves them even more than I do. Explain how things work in detail for those who want to help.

4.) I really want a wash board! And a wringer and while we're dreaming a hand crank wash tub! Wringing wrenches my wrists. Say that 5 times quickly.

5.) Of all the ways to fasten a flat diaper my son prefers the diaper belt.

Tying: convenient for me, no pins or fastener's to keep track of or buy, and he can't get out of his diaper!

The single pin method: he can't get out of this one at all, but he does complain if it's to snug, I poke myself all the time with pins and get sore fingers. It also looks the tidiest IMO.

 Boingo's: Fun, grip really well, have a touch of stretch and he has trouble getting out of them, but he also thinks they are a toy.

Toddler Snappi: Easiest to use of the fasteners, but he can pull them right off. 

Homemade diaper belt: Just a band of elastic covered with a knit fabric and a skirt hook and loop closure. This is the one he'll wear even though he can remove it with ease. I think because the belt is elastic it moves with his body and doesn't bind. 

Flat Challenge Day 4

 Today's topic: What do I think about hand washing?

Honestly, unless I have to do it, I wouldn't do it. I have no illusions that I would rather be doing something else and letting the machine take care of it. It simply isn't sustainable for a long period of time to wash this way. That being said, I had to do it for 3 months when we were saving up for a new impeller for our front loader. We also washed all the laundry by hand then for a family of 6, two of them were in diapers full time. It was time consuming and exhausting! I think the only way it can be sustainable is if you have a wringer and a hand crank wash tub.  Those two items would definitely make the whole process go much faster and easier. Actually it is a dream of mine to find an old fashioned wash tub with a wringer for regular use in the house. I can always use another washer LOL!

I adore drying outside, I simply can't get enough of how fresh the diapers or clothes smell when dried outside :) One way I have been combating the stiff factor in my diapers is using a tsp. of ecover laundry softener in the rinse water. I find I don't get repelling issues and it makes a significant difference in how soft they are line drying. If it's a windy day I don't bother, since the movement doesn't allow the fabric to stiffen up.