Ive been sewing for such a long time, and it only seemed natural that when I decided to use cloth nappies on my first baby (almost 5 years ago, eep!) that I would sew them myself. So that I did. Of course, there was a path.. I bought one pattern and used it, but wasnt too happy. I trialled some free patterns online, some not too bad, but then I stumbled across a brilliant pattern that I didnt regret paying for. I have used it so many times for my own kids and gifts, I think I wouldve made at least 200 cloth nappies. What is the pattern you ask? Its Chloe Toes.

I dont know where to begin on the goodness of this nappy! So Ill start with how it is on the baby.

• Its easy to put on with only 2 studs each side. No second guessing with getting the sides even with velcro. You can tell Dads and any cloth nappy challenged people which studs they are up to, and you’ll know it will be on right!
• It can be used as a cover, stuffable or made as an AIO or AI2.
• If you use it as a cover or stuffable, it washes and dries so well because theres no bits that are extra thick.
• It fits the baby so well, going under their tummy and high up their thighs. There is nothing like a cloth nappy that is meant to sit around the non-existent waist of a baby.. and sags. And with the high thighs, it lets them move their legs and crawl and walk with no restriction. It also has a huge coverage over the bum, and lets face it; when we are talking about No. 3s.. it needs to cover!
• It comes in 7, yes you read right, 7 different sizes! They all overlap by a bit which means that you can have your baby in 2 sizes at once without concern. For my babies, I only ever used the 3 sizes of small, medium and large. They were born around 4kg, and then toilet trained at 2. But for those with premmies, they can be made for them. For those with toddlers that arent catching onto toilet training or are a bit bigger than other toddlers, they go through to XXL.

And for the sewing, a breeze.

• As a stuffable, or a cover, you only need one one layer of PUL, one layer of microfleece, a length of FOE and some snaps. There is only one pattern piece for it, which fits in well with itself, so you can fit a lot on a length of fabric by interlocking them. To sew up is quite simple. Once the 2 layers are cut out (with nicks), I applied the snaps across the front of the PUL to keep them hidden (adding a small strip of extra microfleece behind to keep them firm), then sewed the FOE to the microfleece for the pocket to put the booster in. Next I held the 2 layers together with nicks matching, sewed FOE along the back, then all around the rest of the nappy. Lastly, I folded the loose FOE on the tabs and sewed them down, then applied the last snaps on the tabs. All I needed to use was a regular sewing machine that had a zig-zag stitch.

• There is also a pattern piece included for the booster, to either make a AIO or a removable booster. It is a nice shape that fits in well. I made boosters with this, but tended to opt for large rectangles of bamboo with an overlocked edge, that could be folded to fit into the pocket the stuffable made.

There are only 2 downfalls of this pattern in my opinion..

1. You have to use snaps for the best effect, and not everyone may have access to a snap press. There is a document to adapt the pattern to velcro if you need to. I invested in a snap press and havent looked back. I use it for clothes I make, as well as the nappies. Its great for kids overalls, babys onesies, bags, jackets, and heaps of other things. Then buying the snaps in a few different colours only sets you back a few dollars. I got my snap press from an online store Snaps Australia. I buy a big stack of snaps from time to time, but recently bought a very large amount of white that should keep me going for a while. It turns out white works with so many things, I go through them quicker than anything else.
2. The nappies are so good, others will want you to make them for their babies!

So where can you buy this pattern?

From a great online store Nappies Covered. Jodie always has a great selection of nappy fabrics and notions as well. Ive never been less than impressed with the quality of her wares and her professional and friendly approach (and yes, I have been disappointed with nappy fabric I have bought elsewhere). She also has great little labels to sew into your nappies so you know the sizes. I usually do the size labels, but I forgot on the last batch I made, so none in these photos!

And if you cant be bothered making up your own nappies, or even want to try out one before you commit to buying the pattern, Jodie makes Chloe Toes nappies to order!

Have you tried Chloe Toes nappies on your bub?