Sewing Help & Tutorials

Sewing Elastic Q & A

• Does elastic shrink?
• Yes, elastic does shrink a bit. It is not cost effective at this point for us to have the elastic preshrunk. So you can do one of two things. When I make diapers I just pull the elastic a bit less than I actually want it. Then in the wash is shrinks to the correct fit. You can also put the elastic into a lingerie bag before you sew and toss it in the wash with your laundry. Wash and dry on warm.


• Which side of the fold over elastic should face out?
• One side of the elastic looks fuzzy/soft and the other side looks more like a grid of elastic threads. You can fold the elastic with either side being on the outside. Putting the fuzzy side makes your covers more likely to have pilling of the elastic. Those little fuzz balls will appear if any hook tape comes in contact with the elastic in the washer or dryer.
  Applying the elastic with the grid side out will all but eliminate pilling.


• What should my elastic measurements be?
• I know, it's very tempting to cut your elastic before you sew it, but it is much more difficult to sew pre-cut pieces. The easiest way to sew the elastic is to leave it in a long length and trim is as you complete each section (ie: legs, back). This way you have something to hang on to and are not tempting fate and risking sewing your fingers as you attempt to hang onto short pieces of elastic. The videos at the top of this page are great for learing to sew elastic into diapers like a pro. I do speak on the videos as I'm sewing so be sure to turn your speakers on.


• How tight should I pull the elastic?
• If you are sewing diapers for the first time or with a new fabric it is very helpful to use the practice scraps & elastic that come with your order. If you are making a fitted diaper, you should have three layers of scrap fabric to practice adding elastic to since fitteds are made with three body layers. You want to pull the elastic tight enough to be snug around the legs and waist, but not so tight that when you finish the diaper just balls up. Heavier fabrics like velour and hemp require more stretching of the elastic to achieve a good fit. Our elastic video tutorials are great to watch as well as listen to.

Basic guidlines for the elastic lengths.


8.75”

SIZE	BACK	LEGS
Size 1	6.5”	5.5”
Size 2	8”	6.75”
Size 3	7.5”
Size 4	9.25”	8”





Sewing PUL Q & A

How do you sew with this stuff?

• I highly recommend using a teflon coated sewing foot on your sewing machine when sewing with PUL. This foot will allow the PUL to travel through the machine without sticking to the sewing foot. These feet can be purchased from your local sewing machine dealer. I actually leave mine on my machine for most of my sewing, rather than putting in on and taking it off each time I sew with PUL.

Basic Diaper Sewing Tips

• It is easy to get frustrated with a new project. Whether it's diaper sewing or skydiving. Try to keep your sense of humor. Here are a few tips.
• Wait to tackle diaper sewing until you can have some uninterrupted time.
• Read the sewing instructions all the way through before beginning.
• Lay the kit pieces out and make sure you understand what each piece is as explained in the sewing instructions "Glossary".
• If you aren't sure how something is going to look when you complete the step in the instructions - baste it or pin it first. Make sure you are on the right track before sewing it "for real".
• If you need to use pins - use them. Just be sure to remove all of them.
• If you are getting too frustrated and it seems like everything you do is wrong. Stop and take a break. We've all been there.
• Email me! I am available to answer sewing questions.
• Join a cloth diaper forum. There are always more experienced sewers around to answer general diaper sewing questions.

We want you to enjoy sewing diapers! If you have a tip or a question please email it to me at info@diaperkit.com