Thread

Thread, just like clothing, comes in 100% polyester, 100% cotton, and Cotton/Poly blends. Polyester thread is thought of to be better to use in diaper making because it shouldn't wick as much as cotton thread will. I recommend 100% cotton OR 100% polyester, the blended threads seem to be weaker. If you're sewing a wateproof All in One Diaper or a Diaper Cover, you'll probably want to use a 100% polyester thread.

Elastic

There are many types and sizes of elastics suitable for diaper sewing.

• Poly Braid Elastic White, has a braided appearance. Often a polyester/lycra or polyester/rubber content. 1/4 inch wide and 3/8 inch wide are both good widths for diapers. Strong and durable. I prefer the Stretchrite brand.
• Swimsuit or Swimwear Elastic This elastic often has a natural color appearance, and has a cotton/rubber or cotton/lycra content. Soft, yet still very durable. 1/4 inch wide and 3/8 inch wide are both good widths for use in diaper making. I prefer the Stretchrite brand.
• Fold-Over Elastic Use it in place of bias tape around the edges of diaper covers. There are different brands and types, some are rougher, some are soft. You'll of course want to use the softest you can find as it will be touching baby's skin. Fold-Over Elastic is often abbrieviated to "FOE". Not guaranteed to resist wicking, it is still widely used in the diapering community, and I haven't had wicking or leaking problems with the covers I have bound in Fold-Over elastic. You can also use FOE to bind a diaper that would normally be serged if you do not own a serger or overlocker.
• Lastin Clear Elastic A popular brand of clear elastic, some feel that this elastic will outlast your diapers. Stretch a few times before sewing. You need a three-step zig zag stitch (also called a Multiple Zig Zag stitch) to apply. *See below if you aren't sure if your machine has this stitch. There are other brands of clear elastics but these do not hold up as well as Lastin, especially for use in a heavy use, heavy wash item like a cloth diaper.

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Hook and Loop

There are various trade names of hook and loop, a very popular closure to sew onto diapers. Aplix, Velcro, Touchtape are just a few. You can help keep the hook part sticking longer if you turn your diapers inside out and fasten the hook and loop before washing. This keeps the hook part from collecting fuzz in the wash. Many sew "laundry tabs" by sewing an additional strip of loop next to the hook tab. This way the hook tab may be folded back to keep it from snagging on other items in the wash. You may also turn soiled diapers inside out and fasten the hook to the front loop panel.

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Snaps

Snaps popular for use in diaper making are either made of a plastic or metal. As with all things, snaps come in a wide variety of quality. Snaps also come in a variety of sizes. The most popular sizes for diaper sewing are 16 Ligne and 20 Ligne. The size of snap you use on your diapers is largely due to personal preference. Plastic snaps are very durable and have the added benefit of not clunking or heating up in the dryer. However, they require the use of a Snap Press to apply. Plastic snaps cannot be applied with a simple hammering tool or snap pliers such as the type you might find in a local fabric store. Those types of tools will apply metal snaps. Metal snaps differ from plastic snaps not only in the material they are made with but in their shape. Plastic snap caps have a single prong that must be smashed properly with a Snap Press. Metal snaps can be applied with a snap press as well if you have the right die pieces to do so. Metal snaps have several prongs around the edge of the cap or open ring.

Both types of snaps are perfectly suitable for diaper making. Metal snaps are more readily available to home seamstresses as they can be applied without the investment of a snap press. However a snap press can be used to apply plastic and metal snaps to more than just diapers. Many use it for applying snaps to clothing, bras, purses, bags, and more. Metal snaps come in a greater variety of colors.

The most popular size for plastic snaps is size 20. The most popular size for metal snaps is size 16, though size 20 is often seen as well.

You need four parts to make a complete snap. See photos.

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Sewing Machine Needle Types

There are a variety of different kinds of machine needles. You should use the appropriate needle for whatever fabric you are sewing.

• Ball point needles are recommended for knits to avoid punching holes and causing runs.
• Sharp needles (often called "Universal") are recommended for wovens, but state on the packaging they are suitable for durable knits as well.
• Twin needles are two needles connected by one shaft. Any regular sewing machine can accept a twin needle as long as it can do a zig zag stitch. If your machine cannot hold two spools of thread at once, you can place your second spool in a coffee mug behind your machine. Simply thread the second thread through your machine along with the first thread, when you come to the needle, one thread goes in one eye, the other in the second eye. Sews two lines of stitching at once. Twin needles come in different sizes, make sure you have the right size needle for the job.

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Basic Diaper Sewing Stitches Defined

Straight Stitch

This is your basic stitch that runs in a straight line.

Back Stitch

Most machines allow you to press a button or pull a lever while stitching to reverse your stitching on top of itself to secure loose threads at the beginning or end of a stitch. You can also just narrow your stitching to secure instead of back stitching.

Zig Zag Stitch

This is a stitch that most sewing machines can accomplish and is commonly used in place of serging when you don't own a serger. Just like its name suggests the stitch zigs back and forth instead of in a straight line. To "fake serge" you can set a wide, close zig zag and sew close to the edge of your fabrics to trap the edges. It won't look as neat as a serged finish, but can be more economical than buying an expensive serger.

Three Step Zig Zag or Multiple Zig Zag

Many machines have this stitch but some do not. It looks like a zig zag, but each zig and zag is broken into three little stitches (see illustration). This stitch is ideal for attaching Lastin Clear Elastic.

Serger Overlocker

A machine that cuts, sews, and finishes the raw edge of material. You can see in the photo that using decorative threads in your serger can create quite a pretty finish on the edge of diapers. Diapers shown are courtesy Suzie at Christensen Creations.

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