The Diaper Factory

It's a good thing we don't eat at our kitchen table very often, because you can't even see it right now. An innocent weekend project of making cloth diapers has dragged into a seemingly neverending diaper design extravaganza. The table is covered in cute flannel fabric, bits of velcro, elastic, pin cushions, and Big Bertha the sewing machine.

I've always wanted to use cloth rather than disposable diapers. My mom used cloth on me and my brother, and she always said that it made toilet training easier. And of course there is the environmental aspect as well. There is a lot of debate over the subject from both sides, which I will not get into here. But there is an interesting article written in 2005 about a British study that seems to cover all the facts.

At first I thought that a cloth diaper is a square which is fastened around the baby with those jumbo pins and a plastic underwear-like cover. When I went hunting for these supplies, I was almost lauged at by the baby store people. It seems like the square diaper is a rare find these days, and if you do use them, velcro is the new bobby pin.

What are people using then? I found some cloth diapers that were just like disposable diapers in shape. So I bought a package of cute neutral colors becauseI don't know whether the baby is a boy or a girl. When I got home and opened up the pack to look at them, I decided that it shouldn't be that hard to make my own. I suppose I could do the squares and use velcro/pins, but these ones seem more leakproof in design as they have elastics that hug around the chubby legs. And maybe I have been watching too much Project Runway.

Having no idea how to sew, I immediately failed miserably at making my own pattern, and instead turned to the internet where I found a jem of a pattern. Then I went to the fabric store and asked for some advice. The ladies who work there were helpful, they told me things I never would have known, like what to use for lining, and how much fabric I would need. (There is too much math involved in sewing!)

I elected my good friend Franny to be the seamstress, and so began the diaper factory...

We "scientifically" tested our diapers by pouring water in them (woulda used the blue water like they do on tv, except I don't have food colouring) and they remained dry on the outer layer. Ooh they are so cute! I can't wait to see them on something other than a stuffed bear...

Umm...you shouldn't be eating that.

I've been hearing a lot of that over the past few months, especially when I mention that I've been eating tons of sushi. People are always so curious about what a vegan eats. And usually I am happy to ramble on about all kinds of my favorite dishes. But you should see these people recoil with horror when the word "sushi" is mentioned. After all, pregnant women should not eat raw fish, don't you know?

Obviously they forgot that vegans don't eat fish, first of all. That's a pescatarian. But then I get to thinking...if you want to be a smarty pants and tell me what I should and shouldn't eat, maybe you might want to do some research. Sushi does not mean raw fish, silly rabbit! That would be sashimi, which I would not eat, pregnant or not. Sushi refers more to the vinegared rice used. I love avocado rolls, vegetable rolls, and lots of other non-fishy rolls.

Maybe one day I'll get ambitious enough to make my own, like the PPK people do. But for now I have my favorite Japanese restaurant on speed dial and they always come to the rescue on those days (and nights) when I don't feel like cooking.