Sew Much Fun!

Crafting is something that I have always enjoyed doing.  Sure, you can buy just about anything you could ever want/need at a store these days, but there is something so satisfying about creating something out of nothing!  I guess I get this from my mom.  Throughout the years we have gone through all types of crafting phases ~ candle making, soap making, basket weaving, latch-hook rugs, (all of which were pretty big "flops" by the way), scrapbooking, knitting, and crocheting (these last 3 are still pretty popular with us).  The past few months though, I have been learning how to sew on a machine and I LOVE it!  There is something so relaxing about it.  I sit down at my sewing table and I instantly feel the stress of the day melting away.  I don't know about you, but I really like to see pictures of how people set up their crafting spaces.  I decided to snap a few pictures of my sewing area to post here.  I'm sure it will change as I get more into sewing, but for now it is perfect for my needs!


Sewing tray: scissors and fabric pens are in the cup, extra bobbins are in the drawers, misc. sewing notions are in the big glass jar (it makes it easier to see what I have, and it adds a decorative flair), snaps and buttons are in the snap-n-lock containers.

My sewing table in the corner of my craft room.  Fabric is organized by type in the bins.  All of my supplies are on the wooden tray.

As many of you know, I use cloth diapers on my baby girl, so I have recently been really into making cloth wipes out of super-soft flannel. Even if you don't cloth diaper, these wipes are great for sticky hands and faces! I keep a basket of them by my kitchen sink to use for after mealtime clean-up. I just throw them in with my daily laundry. Simple as can be! Softer than paper towels, and better for the environment (and your wallet!). Here is a picture of some adorable puppy-print wipes that I made for a lady today. These were my first official "special order" for a paying customer. Yay for a new side-business! :)

Fluffy Goodness! {My Cloth Diapering Set-up}

A few people have asked me what my cloth diapering "set-up" is like - where I store them, what I do with dirty diapers, etc.  So I decided to do a blog post with pictures.

First, a picture of the changing area in Sophia's room.  I still prefer using a changing table because it helps me keep her "contained" a little bit better. Please excuse the messy bottom shelf.  That is the catch-all area for stuff.  On the first shelf I have 3 fabric bins from Target that hold diaper inserts.  I also have a basket of disposable diapers (yes, disposables! Sigh.  Chris still won't use the cloth diapers when they are going to his house).

This next picture shows how I store my diapers.  I am currently using a hanging organizer, but my diaper stash is starting to outgrow this area, so I may have to come up with a different system soon.  For now though, it works.  I am totally OCD about organzing and labeling (as most of you know!) so I have labeled each of the sections (Pocket Diapers, All In One Diapers, Covers/Shells, Overnight Diapers, Cloth Wipes) to make the different types of diapers easy to find.

Okay, so now that I've shown you how to store the pretty, clean diapers, let's talk about how to store the dirty ones :)  There are tons of expensive cloth diaper pail liners on the market, but I honestly don't feel that they are necessary.  What I have been using is a kitchen trashcan with a swing top (having a lid is pretty important to control odors).  I put a regular trash bag in it and then put a mesh drawstring laundry bag on top of the trash bag.  When it's time to empty the pail, I simply pull out the mesh bag and leave the trash bag.  Every couple of weeks I change the trash bag too.  Anyway, I dump the diapers into the washing machine, then throw the mesh bag in too.  Then when it's time to get the diapers out of the dryer, I can put them in the mesh bag to carry them upstairs.  Easy!  Another option that a lot of people go with is a hanging zippered wet bag.  Some of these can get REALLY pricey, but I just ordered one from a really sweet Mama who sell handmade baby items in her online store Maxille Love.  If you go with this option, you don't have to have an actual diaper pail at all.  If I had a 2 story house, I would probably go with the diaper pail option for the bedroom, and then the hanging wet bag option for the living room because it takes up less space.

That's it!  See, cloth doesn't take up that much more storage space, and is way cuter than a box of disposable diapers. :)

Curious About Cloth?

Okay, so this blog post may not interest some of you, but I wanted to write this for those of you who have expressed interest in cloth diapering.  With Earth Day just around the corner, what better timing to talk about going green?!? :)

My current Cloth Diaper Stash

Let's start at the beginning of my "journey" into cloth.  I started cloth diapering Emma when she was 18 months old.  However, I did not have much support from her dad, so I gave up on it within a few months.  I kicked around the idea of using cloth with Sophia, but after my seperation and buying a new house and all of the other craziness that was going on in my life around the time Sophia was born, I just went with disposables.  Fast forward about a year, and I started thinking about cloth diapering again.  Part of it is my new desire to choose more organic and earth friendly options whenever possible, and partly because I just think they are so darn cute and comfy looking! :)  I mean, think about it, would you rather where paper or cloth underwear?!?  I talked to my mom and my BFF, Nicole (a fellow cloth diapering Mama), and they encouraged me to go for it if that is what I wanted to do.  So... I went for it!

Now that you know my story, let's get into the different diapering options.  My favorite and most "user friendly" style is a pocket diaper.  I love Bumgenius 4.0 pocket diapers.  The great thing about pocket diapers is that you can add as much absorbancy as you need, so it is very customizable for you baby's needs.  Here is a picture of the inside of a pocket diaper.

Bumgenius One-Size 4.0 Pocket Diaper

While pocket diapers are my favorite, they are also quite expensive (approximately $18 each!).  The cost is still cheaper than disposables over the entire lifetime of diapering, but it can be pricey to build up your "stash."  Another diapering option,which is much more cost efficient, is using prefolds and covers.  These are the diapers that most people think of when they hear the term "cloth diapers,"  BUT, they are not even close to the old fashioned diaper pins and plastic pants!  The prefold diapers can either be fastened with something called a "Snappi", or you can simply fold the prefold into thirds and lay it into a waterproof diaper cover. 

There are other diapering options out there, but these are the ones that I use.  Hope this has helped clear up some of questions that you may have had about modern cloth diapers! :)