Amy Butler Birdie Sling - Finished!

 

 

 

I realized yesterday that I didn't have a graduation present for my husband's niece. The graduation party is today. Oops! I have wanted to make the Amy Butler Birdie Sling for awhile, I've had the pattern for almost a year. So, I decided to make her a Birdie Sling for her graduation gift. She loves red and I had some red wallflower fabric from the Amy Butler Lotus line, so yesterday I went to The Top Stitch, a local fabric store, and bought some coordinating fabric. I ended up cutting the blue fabric upside down, but you probably couldn't tell unless I told you. The bag does have some minor flaws as do most things when you make them the first time. But, I'm happy with how it turned out! And best of all, I got it done in time for the graduation party! It did take me about 6 hours to complete. And, I did have to rip out one seam that I did wrong (after I ripped it out I decided it was time to go to bed). One common complaint I have heard about Amy Butler patterns is that they use a lot of fabric. But, I was able to reposition some of the pattern pieces to better use the fabric. At first I wasn't going to include the pockets to save time. But, as I thought about it more, I decided that it is such a large bag that it really does need the pockets if you want to ever find your car keys. I didn't make the pockets according to the pattern, but improvised an easier and quicker design. Overall, I'm really happy with how it turned out! I hope she likes it!

One Size All-in-Two Cloth Diapers w/ Bamboo Velour and Zorb

 

 

I just finished this order or diapers for a local mom. She is planning to use them with her newborn baby girl due in three weeks. She picked out the outer fabrics that she liked from my fabric gallery. Then, I made them up using her fabric choices and using bamboo velour, bamboo fleece, and zorb for the inserts. When my 97/3 wool comes in, I plan to also make her some doublers to place underneath the snap-in insert as a new baby present.

I really like working with the zorb so far. It is thick and more rigid than any other fabrics, but it seems to work well. And, I much prefer cutting and sewing zorb compared to microfiber. I don't think my fold down style soaker will work with the zorb, but the standard style works fine. The zorb is just so rigid that I don't see it folding down very well.

My 97/3 wool should hopefully be to me within a week or two. I love this wool because I can super-felt it and then it becomes washable. I plan to use it as the backing to diaper doublers because wool will absorb so much liquid. And, since it if completely machine washable, you can wash the doublers with your diapers on hot and not experience any shrinkage or warping! I'm very excited for it to get to my door.

If you are interested in having me make a diaper order for you, check out my custom order policies for the details!

Introducing Happy Heiny's Cloth Diapers and Trainers

 
 
 

After much research, I moved into retailing cloth diapers other than the ones that I sew myself. After much debate, I decided to make this decision for a couple of reasons. First, I wanted to provide a fuller range of products than what I am able to sew and perfect. Many people prefer pocket diapers and I get requests to sew them. I will not sew and sell a pocket cloth diaper unless I am able to afford an attorney to help me be sure my design is not included in the patent covering pocket cloth diapers. I know lots of people make pocket diapers and sell them without any problems, but this was the only decision I am comfortable with personally. Secondly, I've realized that I need a source of income that is not tied to how many hours I can sew each week. By retailing Happy Heiny's diapers, I am able to diversify my WAHM income stream.

In no way am I going to slow down or quit selling my "home sewn" One Size All-in-Two cloth diapers. I love my product and it is unique to the marketplace! I have not yet found a mass produced one size bamboo velour all-in-two cloth diaper.

In searching for a company whose products align well with my products, I chose Happy Heiny's for a couple of reasons. First, they are manufactured in the USA. I want to support American jobs. Secondly, Happy Heiny's began as a small WAHM shop, just like mine! Thirdly, I like their warranty and customer service. After I was approved as a retailer for Happy Heiny's, I realized that the business headquarters is within 5 miles of where I graduated from High School.

I don't plan to carry a large selection of every product that Happy Heiny's sells. I will focus on one size diapers with snap closures and training pants. The diapers I sew are primarily one size with snap closures. And, I do plan to add cotton and bamboo inserts to my store to use in the pocket diapers and trainers if someone wants an alternative to microfiber inserts.

So, I have added the products to my store, so go check it out!

Sewing Bamboo Inserts For Cloth Diapers

 

 

 

 

I just finished a batch of 13 inserts/soakers this weekend. They are made from bamboo organic cotton fleece and bamboo organic cotton velour. The first picture shows the batch completely done. They are closer in size than the appear in the picture. The end to your left (the top of the insert) has snaps sticking out the back, so it is hard to line them up exactly. The second picture shows the different layers "unveiled". The botton layer of bamboo organic cotton fleece has the snap studs sticking out the back. These studs snap into the cloth diaper. The snap caps (on the side you can see) are reinforced with scrap fabric to give them extra strength and durability. Then you can see next layer of bamboo organic cotton fleece with a strip of fabric sewn doen the center. These strips, made from two layers of bamboo organic cotton fleece fabric, are serged on all edges and zig-zag stitched down the center. They are then sewn onto the middle full layer of bamboo organic cotton fleece using a straight stitch on all sides. I don't want to give them any chance to move around when washed! I use these extra strips of fabric to give more absorbancy without making my serger sew through more than three layers of fabric. This full layer of bamboo organic cotton fleece is turned to that the extra strip is facing down. Then I add a layer of bamboo organic cotton velour to the top and serge around all layers. You can see one of the inserts partially serged in the final picture. The hardest part of serging the inserts is the curves. It is easy to "loose" one layer and not get it caught in the stitching. This happens occassionally. When it does, I just sew the "missed" area with my regular sewing machine and mark it as a "second". It will work just fine and the fabric will only wear to the line I have sewn with my sewing machine. Many times the mistake is hardly noticable. The final step is for me to sew over the beginning/ending point with my regular sewing machine, then collapse the serging and cut any remaining threads. So now if my cotton Sherpa will get here I can finish my current custom order!

The Latest Batch of One Size Bamboo Cloth Diapers!

 

These cloth diapers are for sale at Serenity Tree although a few of them have already sold. They are a fitted cloth diaper, which means that they need a waterproof cover to keep clothing dry. They are made with bamboo inners and inserts - so everything that touches your baby has bamboo fibers in it. I love using bamboo blend fabrics because the bamboo fibers have natural anti-bacterial properties. The anti-bacterial properties in bamboo fabric come from the "bamboo kun" which part of the bamboo fibers. And, like other natural fiber materials, such as cotton and hemp, bamboo is also a very "breathable" fabric meaning that air can circulate through it and cool the body.

The bamboo fabrics that I use in the cloth diapers I make and sell are a blend of bamboo, cotton, and in some cases, polyester. I use a heavy weight 80% bamboo and 20% organic cotton fleece in the inserts of my diapers. The fleece layers are on the inside and the bottom of the inserts. They actually have 4 layers of this heavy weight bamboo/organic cotton fleece. The fabric that I use on the top of the insert and the inside of the diaper (that touches the baby's behind) is 80% bamboo, 17-18% organic cotton, and 2-3% polyester velour. The polyester is in the "backing" or back side of the fabric and serves the purpose of holding the fabric together better. While the fleece is a more rugged fabric, the velour is softer and needs the extra stability of the polyester in the back to get maximum durability. I hope you enjoyed learning more about Joyful Baby cloth diapers and the bamboo fabrics that I use in them!

Calling all Knitters! Lottery for a Needlecase!

 

 

 

 

I am offering a lottery for this needlecase on Serenity Tree. You can enter for free. If you are selected as the random winner by the computer, you agree to buy this needlecase for $10 plus shipping. The needlecase is made using denim, sushi fabric by Robert Kaufman, and a coordinating red floral print by Amy Butler. The needlecase design is by LuciKnits on Etsy.

This needlecase was hurriedly completed today by me. I was missing the bias tape and zipper to work on it yesterday. This morning I went to the fabric store to purchase the bias tape and zipper - and completely forgot to grab the zipper. I live about 20 minutes from the fabric store, so the zippered outer pocket is omited on this needle case.

You can easily store circular needles, accessories, double pointed needles, and crochet hooks inside. The denim outer will make a long lasting, durable needle case. I hope the winner enjoys it!