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Cloth Nappy Fabrics 101 Part 1: An Intro

Cloth Nappy Fabrics 101 Part 1: An Intro

by | Apr 19, 2015 | Cloth Nappy Making, Fabric Guides, Fabric Information Guide, Sustainable Sewing

Boring Legal Bit: If you follow any tutorial or guidance found in this post, or on this blog, you agree to be bound by our disclaimer which can be viewed here

Welcome to Real Nappy Week 2015! Well…. the fun starts tomorrow but I thought I’d whet your whistle and have you all geared up to learn all about cloth this week and enjoy the discounts we have coming up.  If you’re not familiar with real nappies then this annual event is a great time to swot up about all things cloth, bag yourself some bargains and realise cloth nappies really aren’t in any way reminiscent of the the square of terry towelling held together with a big pin of yester-year. Modern fabrics and notions have meant that cloth nappies are a world away from the commonly held vision of the nappies used by our mums and grans. 

Image courtesy of Bumble Bees Modern Cloth Nappies

I mean, really…. for the love of cute! Did you ever see such a lovely baby’s bottom? No? Well I urge you to check out Bumble Bees Modern Cloth Nappies page for even more amazing creations. Victoria makes exactly the kind of nappies that got me hooked as a cloth head and thinking “I want to make that” and it’s these kinds of nappies that have me cursing the potty.  Cute fluff aside, I do recall those early times of complete and utter confusion – there are just so many terms and types of fabrics you can use to make your own nappy.  So what better time to celebrate and educate around cloth than Real Nappy Week? This week I’ll be posting a series of posts based around cloth nappy making fabrics to help clear the confusion and build confidence that both making, and using cloth isn’t that scary at all.

So why use cloth nappies?

Well for me there were many reasons that resonated but there were some stand out drivers.

  • Chemicals – This was the number one reason I used cloth. I was horrified to learn that disposable nappies contain the chemical Sodium Polyacrylate which is a super absorber. This chemical was banned from tampons in 1985 as it was considered to contribute to Toxic Shock Syndrome. Unlike most other baby products there is currently no legislation to determine what can and cannot be in a disposable nappy.
  • Pretties! – Yes it’s very shallow but I can’t deny I was totally and utterly wooed by how pretty cloth nappies are.
  • Money – Go Real estimates you can save up to £1000 by using cloth, even more if you use them for more than one child. Cloth nappies also have a resale value when you don’t need them anymore, the pre-loved cloth market on places like Facebook is very active.
  • The environment – using cloth helps reduce landfill deposits and carbon dioxide omissions.

So how do you make a cloth nappy?

Just like there are oodles of ways to make a dress, there are oodles of ways to make a nappy. I’m not going to go in to the different types and styles of nappy, you can find a good starter guide here and this is the pattern we include in our cloth nappy kits which will help out with some of the terminology and give you more of an idea of the styles options available. Neither is this series going to outline the laundry regime you should use, except to say I whole heartedly recommend using a wet bag which you simply unzip and place in it’s entirety in to the washing machine. Wet bags keep any whiffs zipped in, that you never have to put your hands in anything yucky and your machine does all the hard work. It’s easy, I promise. You can read a laundry guide here.

We sell a kit here (which you can get at a 20% discount all week, starting tomorrow) which contains everything you need to make your first nappy and includes a pattern which is a great way to dip your toe in to the water. Once you have that under your belt it’s a good idea to get some fabrics from the roll and you never know…. before long you might be whipping up incredible creations like this Winnie The Pooh wonder made by Jacqui at Dinky Dot Bots

Image Courtesy of Dinky Dot Bots

In essence there are five areas to consider and make a choice from with regards to nappy fabrics. If I strip things back to the very basic level and just think about fabrics and notions you need to have various “layers” that make a nappy work.

  1. The inner or lining layer – this is often  a thin manmade fabric referred to as a “Stay Dry” layer whose main purpose is to wick away moisture from your baby’s skin so it feels dry
  2. The absorbent layer – let’s get real, your baby is gonna wee and it needs somewhere to go. Absorbent fabrics collect moisture from the inner wicking layer and hold on to it so it doesn’t leak out.
  3. The waterproof layer – this is the layer that stops the wet from leaking through to your baby’s clothes. This is almost always PUL fabric. 
  4. The outer layer – the outer layer is sometimes the waterproof layer but it’s often this layer that adds the über pretty factor and is generally made from plush/ minky.
  5. The notions – this is the fastenings and elastics

So throughout this week we’ll take a look at each of the different layers and hopefully decipher some of the confusion!

We are also participating in the Great British Nappy Hunt. There are lots of prizes from lots of cloth related retailers to be won, including a £50 Plush Addict gift voucher, so why not sign up, play along, learn something and have some fun?!

A Waterproof Fabric Guide

A Waterproof Fabric Guide

by | Jul 31, 2013 | Fabric Guides, PUL Projects, Sustainable Sewing, Tutorials

Following on from my popular post about the fabric possibilities for dribble bibs I thought it would be a good idea to run a  series of these posts to talk about the other more specialist fabrics we stock in the Plush Addict Shop. We get lots of questions about which is the best waterproof fabric to use for a particular type of garment or handmade item so I figured this would be the next one in line for a bit of (hopefully!) helpful blurb.

We presently stock 5 main types of waterproof fabric and I’ll take each one in turn

PUL, or polyurethane laminate

PUL is a bit of a special kind of waterproof fabric as it has the marvellous magic properties of being waterproof, but breathable. So why is this important? Well it’s very special because it means you can make waterproof items of clothing and cloth nappies and your body heat has a better chance of escaping into the atmosphere through fabric so you sweat less! Brilliant.

Composition: PUL has 2 sides to it, one side is made from a polyester knit which means it has a slight stretch which is great for clothing as you get a bit of “give”, important when you’re moving around as there’s less chance of a seam giving way under stress. One side of the polyester knit has a laminate coating applied so it’s slippery and shiny; this is the waterproof layer. PUL is a soft flexible fabric which doesn’t really crease and it air dries in super quick time and  it doesn’t fray when cut. The PULs we stock contain no lead, phlalates or BPAs so are suitable for products intended for children under 12.

Right or wrong side? : I often get asked if there’s a right or wrong side to PUL and as far as the “waterproof-ness” goes there isn’t really, you can have either side as the right side and it will work just the same. That said, for aesthetic and comfort reasons the knit side is often used as the “right” side as it usually has a pretty pattern or colour and as the laminate side is shiny it’s probably more comfortable to have this away from the skin or it’d be a bit sticky. You can line your garment of course which will overcome this, and cloth nappies usually have an inner fabric which is closest to the skin, or PUL is often used as a shaped wrap which goes around a fitted nappy which has no waterproof layer of its own. In pocket cloth nappies the shiny side is often used as the “right” side simply because it makes stuffing the nappy easier.

Sealing sewing holes: When you sew your needle will leave tiny holes behind in the laminate layer which may affect the waterproof effectiveness of your garment. These holes are easily resealed by either popping your garment in the tumble dryer on low for 20 minutes, or if you are using our own brand Plush Addict White PUL this particular fabric also has “weldable” properties which means it will weld to itself when high heat is applied. You can do this with an impulse sealer but I have many customers who seal their seams using an iron (use a protective layer of fabric or pressing cloth to ensure you don’t end up with a sticky mess on your iron!)

What is Sandwich PUL?  As well as single layer PUL we also stock sandwich PUL which works in the same way but instead of being composed of 2 layers of fabric there are 3 layers. The layer of laminate is sandwiched in between 2 layers knit fabric. This is especially helpful if you don’t want to have the shiny laminate side against the skin as it’s hidden away between the knit layers. It’s also stronger so if you are applying a kind of fastener such as KAM snaps, extra reinforcement isn’t required around the fastenings.

Uses: Cloth nappies and wraps, anoraks, waterproof trousers, wet bags, swim bags, changing mats, changing bags, mattress protectors, pillow protectors, baby bibs, picnic blankets, incontinence products, anywhere you need a waterproof, breathable layer.

A special note regarding our own brand of white PUL … we get this manufactured ourselves here in the UK and it has some very special properties:

  1. It is double laminated which means it lasts longer and is less likely to delaminate over time, especially helpful for high laundry items
  2. It is weldable which means it welds to itself when very high heat (like an iron) is  applied (use a pressing cloth). This seals the seams making them completely waterproof
  3. It’s fungistatic which (apart from being a brilliant word) means it inhibits the growth of fungi, very helpful when used in a  nappy, to line a wet bag  or on items such as bibs which may be left wet or damp for some time

Laminated Cotton

Laminated cotton isn’t  completely waterproof, but more water resistant so it’s probably not the best choice for a cloth nappy or for something like a wet bag. People lean towards laminated cotton when they’d like to have a natural fibre on one side of the laminated fabric, it’s also thinner and more pliable than PUL. Because it’s a natural fibre that’s BPA free it’s also considered safe to use for foody makes such as lunch bags and sandwich pouches.

Composition: Laminated cotton is another 2 layer fabric where a high quality 100% cotton sheeting has a film of laminate applied to the right side of the fabric. This fabric has much less of a stretch than PUL and is favoured when you’d like  a natural fibre as part of your garment rather than polyester. It doesn’t fray when cut. It’s PVC-free, and BPA-free and as such is often a fabric of choice when making items for under 12s or food related. It’s pretty and pliable with a nice hand and drapes well, making it ideal for garments and a plethora of other fabulous items.

Right or wrong side? : The laminate is applied to the right side of the fabric, this means that the wrong side is 100% cotton and so can be comfortably worn against the skin.

Uses: Laminated cotton has a lovely hand and is perfect for use in children’s wear, rain coats, bags, baby bibs, play mats, changing bags, place mats, table cloths, sandwich bags, lunch bags, craft aprons, purses, pencil cases.

Ripstop

Ripstop is the real rufty-tufty of waterproof fabrics that we stock. It’s a nylon threaded material that is pretty resistant to tearing or ripping. It’s so tough and strong it’s used a lot in camping equipment such as tents but it’s also used in things like hang glider wings and hot air balloons… not that I imagine you’ll be making your own hang glider any time soon but it shouldn’t be disregarded as it’s also useful for smaller scale applications around the home and is especially good for the garden and it’s much more economical to buy than some of the other waterproof fabrics. I use it as an under high chair cover to save my floor from toddler food accidents and I didn’t even hem it <gasp!>. Because it’s so durable it’s great for outdoor applications and would make great  covers for outdoor furniture or perhaps a BBQ. Bear in mind ripstop isn’t completely waterproof, it’s better than laminated cotton but if wet items are left sitting on it for a long period the wet will seep through. It’s for this reason  I think PUL or ProCare are a better choice for wet bags, but for short term wet applications like a swimming bag that just houses soggy togs for a few hours I think it’d be fine. It can be used in clothing but bear in mind it isn’t breathable.

You can see the distinct raised box pattern present in Ripstop

Composition : Ripstop is made by weaving nylon threads together through a base material. It has an interlocking weave which gives it a distinct raised box pattern on the fabric and it’s because of this  weave that it’s difficult to tear. It’s not a breathable fabric and it doesn’t have any stretch. It doesn’t really fray when cut. It’s a bit noisier than some of the other fabrics in this genre and has that familiar rustle sound!

Right or wrong side? : the patterned side is the right side, this is for aesthetic rather than performance reasons.

Uses: Boot bags, wet bags (although I believe PUL or ProCare perform much better for this application), rain coats, waterproof trousers, ruck sacks, wash bags, pencil cases, kites, wind breaks, shower curtains, splash mats, table cloths, peg bags, tote bags, changing bags, outdoor bunting, outdoor furniture covering, nappy wallets.

Once upon a time oil cloth was actually a closely woven cotton cloth covered in boiled linseed oil to give it waterproof properties,  times have changed and things are a little less messy with today’s oil cloth.

Composition: Oil Cloth is a PVC product and is 100% vinyl and is completely waterproof. It’s very shiny, durable and quite thick so isn’t as pliable and easy to work with as some of the other fabrics in the category. It doesn’t fray when cut. As oil cloth contains phthalates it isn’t intended for projects for children under 12.

Right or wrong side? : the patterned side is the right side, this is for aesthetic rather than performance reasons.

Uses: Table cloths and protectors, bags, pencil cases, book covers, aprons, coin purses, place mats, floor mats, totes, drawer liners, place mats, garden caddies.

ProCare

ProCare  is a very durable totally waterproof barrier fabric. It’s more of a functional fabric than one that will add some pretty cheer to your makes but it does have a few special properties. It has a really high laundry tolerance, over 300+ washes the manufacturers claim. It’s also food safe making a great choice for lining a lunch bag or sandwich wrap. ProCare also meets duty, laundering and material safety standards for use in medical and institutional products. ProCare is not breathable.

Composition: ProCare is 25% polyester and 75% vinyl. It has no real stretch and does not shrink. It can be seam welded with an impulse sealer. It’s free of lead,  phthalates, BPS or brominates and is FDA GRAS compliant for contact with foods.

Right or wrong side? : One side has more texture than the other but both are quite similar. There is no functional difference when using either side of the fabric.

Uses: Wet bag linings, snack and lunch bags, mattress protection, baby bibs, furniture protection, pet and veterinary pads, changing mats

Odicoat

Alternatively you could make any fabric into a waterproof fabric using Odicoat! We posted a guide all about what it is and how to use it here.

(Grab a cheeky 10% off your next Odicoat order with WATERPROOFME10)

Phew! That is rather a lot to digest but I hope you found it helpful. I’m planning on writing a sewing tips series at some point soon so watch out for some tips on handling these more specialist fabrics too.

Best Fabrics for Dribble Bibs

Best Fabrics for Dribble Bibs

by | May 24, 2013 | Bamboo towelling, Fabric Guides, Fabric Information Guide, Fleece, Product Guides, Sustainable Sewing

One of the most common questions I get asked is which fabrics should be used when making dribble bibs. If you Google “how to make a dribble bib” there pages of hits and so many different methods to choose from, I’m not surprised people get confused! Not that I’m going to prescribe a formula here as there many ways to skin this cat… but hopefully a bit of an explanation about the possible fabrics and their properties might assist you if you are at all confused.

So… What’s a dribble bib anyway? The idea behind them is that they will catch that plethora of dribbliness that babies seem to produce when they are teething. They tend to be worn throughout the day, rather than just at mealtimes and as such are also becoming a fashion item as many modern mums want their little people to look nice whilst drooling. With this in mind the trend is for dribble bibs to be decorative as well as functional and in a “bandana” style rather than the traditional bib shape.

These suggestions are by no means definitive, there are so many possibilities and it really does come down to your own personal choice at the end of the day. What works well for one baby might not work well for another so the best advise is to try a few combos and see which works best for you.

Before you read any further, check out our tutorial on “how to make your own dribble bib” (psttt there’s a free pattern in there too!) to give you a better idea of how a bib is constructed and and the materials you’ll need, it’ll help you in picking the best fabric for your need when you come back to this post!

Image courtesy of “My Little Patch”

Top Layer Dribble Bib Fabric Possibilities:

The top layer needs to be absorbent to soak up that dribble! The fabrics listed below are popular choices…

Cotton – a hugely popular choice. Cotton prints are easily accessible and come in a vast array of designs. There’s something to suit every taste, budget and outfit. It’s easy to sew too. Cotton is a thin layer to add, which is great as you don’t want too much bulk around your baby’s neck. See our amazing range of cotton prints .

Flannel – also known as brushed cotton or wynciette, flannel is just like  cotton but is a bit more tactile as it’s a little fluffier. Choose something from our range of flannel fabric.

Cotton interlock or jersey – knit fabrics such as these are also popular, they wash well and tend to fare better without ironing (who wants to iron a bib?) Make sure you use one with a high cotton content or the absorbency might be compromised. These fabrics tend to be a bit more expensive than regular cotton and you generally need a ballpoint needle to sew them. They are a little bulkier than regular cotton, but this means they absorb more too. See our selection of cotton interlock or jersey

Bamboo – mainly used as a backing fabric on a bib but there’s no reason you couldn’t use it on the top too. You could get away with a single layer of this fabric too, especially if using something like Premium Bamboo Towelling which comes in a few colours and is double sided. This would mean minimal sewing and a cost saving as you’re only using one layer of fabric. Bamboo on the top might be too plain for some if you’re after a stylish bib, but it would certainly be functional.

                                                                                   Image courtesy of “My Little Patch”

Bottom Layer Dribble Bib Fabric Possibilities: 

Again, there’s a lot of choice here. Some people opt for another absorbent fabric, others choose more of a barrier fabric for the back to stop the wetness from soaking through onto little people’s clothing. You need to consider how dribbly your little people are, and how long they might be wearing one bib. 

Microfleece – this is a really popular choice for backing fabric, it’s thin, soft and acts as a barrier in a bib so the wetness won’t pass through to clothing. It comes in a variety of colours so can be co-ordinated with your top fabric. It’s usually 150cm wide and cheaper per metre than some of the other possibilities so is an economical option. Our microfleece fabric is here.

Polar Fleece – this is a really economical fabric to use on the back of a bib so a good choice if you are on a budget. The polar fleece acts as a barrier to stop wetness passing through to clothes. It’s not as soft or thin as microfleece but it does come in a good range of colours. I wonder if bibs backed in polar fleece might be a little warm in the summer months, but we’ve never tried it so I could be wrong. Here is our selection of polar fleece.

PUL – this is polyester/polyurethane laminated knit fabric, it’s completely waterproof, yet still breathable so a good choice for being worn by a baby for a period of time. If you want your bib to have a complete barrier for the wetness then this is a good choice. It comes in many colours and patterns. Some people prefer to sew PUL with a walking foot. We have plain, patterned and sandwich PUL here

Plush fabric (formerly known as minky fabric) Plush is often used when a more luxurious bib is desired. It’s a gorgeous fabric with an incredibly soft and fluffy feel. It’s an incredibly addictive fabric (our name is testament!) as it’s so super soft and strokable. As it’s made from polyester it also has magical barrier properties so will stop wetness passing through to clothes. It’s more expensive than something like fleece, but it is rather special. It has a stretch and a pile so can be trickier to sew… lots of pins and a walking foot usually keep this fella in place though. Our extensive range of Plush fabrics (also know as minky) is here

Flannel –  Flannel is going to absorb more dribble rather than provide a barrier for wetness so you may need to change bibs more frequently to stop clothes becoming wet, but I think lighter weight flannel backed bibs are particularly great in the summer when I wonder whether man made fibres might be a little warm around the neck. Our flannel choices are here

Image Courtesy of “My Little Patch”

Bamboo velour – again this is an absorbent fabric rather than a barrier fabric but bamboo velour is a lovely choice for the back of a bib. It’s not too thick and being a natural fibre it won’t get too hot for your little one either. It has a short pile and is nice and tactile and fluffy.

Bamboo towelling –  an absorbent fabric, not a barrier fabric again and I’d say this is for a super dribbler! It’s much thicker and more absorbent than the bamboo velour as it has terry loops on both sides  of the fabric so there’s much more surface area to soak up moisture. Your bib will be thicker if backed with bamboo towelling but it will be incredibly high performance. Even though this is not a barrier fabric you shouldn’t need to change the bib so frequently as there’s so much more surface area to absorb moisture before it will go through to clothes. Again this is a natural fibre, our selection is here.

Bamboo Jersey – this absorbent fabric would be a nice pairing if you are using cotton interlock or jersey on the top so the fabric types match (this is by no means essential, it’s just another option). Again, a natural fibre so a great choice for the summer months to keep dribbly necks cool.

Phew! That’s quite a few fabrics to digest there! As I said at the start, there are so many possibilities and options, more than I have listed above but hopefully that’s a good starting point if you are wanting to make your own bibs.