Today... I sewed wool diaper covers (longies)

This is today's project. I have heard so many good things about wool diaper covers that I decided to make some from old sweaters and try them. I went to Value Village with my sister-in-law and bought 4 old sweaters, 2 for her and 2 for me. She was able to make 2 longies and 5 smaller diaper covers. I was able to make 2 longies and 4 diaper covers. We read about these online, it said to "felt" the sweaters before continuing. So we placed each sweater in a pillow case and tied a knot. Threw them in the front loader washer, with a few jeans, mild sun brand powder soap a few drops of Lanolin to help with waterproofing. Turned the cycle on hot, and as long as it goes, at as heavy-dirty setting as I have, to really rough up the sweaters. Then they went in the dryer for a few cycles, and it was perfect for making diaper covers! They were adult women size to start with and young child size when they came out! Definitely looked more like felt now than knit. This helps keep the wetness in and makes for easier laundering later, you don't have to worry so much about "shrinking" them latter LOL. Don't really think its possible at this point.
This is the first one I made. A longie. I started by cutting off the sleeves of the sweater making them square at top, turning one inside out, then putting the right-side-out one inside the wrong-side-out one, just like you make pants, to sew the crotch seam, front to back. Sorry I forgot to take a picture of that one. Then I sewed the feet closed, and added a waistband of elastic. I only rough estimated with all the measurements. It's better to make it a little big, try it on and be able to take it in a little than to make them a little small and it not fit at all.
This is where the sleeve would have been, I just forgot to take a before pic so I folded the longie and put it back where it was. (above)
I cut straight down the middle, top to bottom because it turned out to measure exactly right for me. Then cut straight across to make two little squares. The tan ribbing going to be the waist of the diaper cover.

The two measurements that matter here: around baby's hips, is how wide you want to cut this square (when its open obviously). And with a prefold diaper on, the distance from the baby's belly button, down under crotch, to back. (If you want add 2 inches for elastic waistband.) That in half, is the distance from the tan ribbing to the line straight across the sweater that I cut here. (above)
Then I cut the collar off the sweater, at a curve a few inches away from the tan ribbing. Then cut that in half, making two leg cuffs. Double check the size of baby's thighs here, you can trim off a little if they are way too big. Then I sewed down the side, making it a loop. See how the shoulder of the sweater is a fold, making the other side of the loop.
(above) Then I took the square pieces, sewed a seam down the side. Sew again to reinforce it. And you cant really see by my picture but as I got closer to the waist/ top/tan ribbing I made the seam angle in just by and inch or so to make a slightly smaller waist. If that isn't enough, you can sew elastic waistbands in, or braid a "belt" with yarn and weave it in and out all around the waits. Just look these up on the internet and you'll see lots of example pictures.
(above) I took that seam I just made down the side and "moved it" to the center of my diaper cover, still insideout. then sewed the middle third of the bottom opening, making a crotch of the cover. Then I cut out the leg openings, by making little round cuts up and out from the bottom seam.
Then I turned the leg cuffs right-side-out and placed them inside the cover which is in-side-out, lining up the seams on the leg cuffs with the crotch seam (which goes left to right, the little red line at the bottom of the cover, in the above picture). Then carefully sew around both leg openings, remembering to pull/ keep lots of tension on the material so it will be able to still stretch afterwards.
This is another picture, one for Kailey's baby. Same thing just has longer leg cuffs. I really like this one (above). Looks a little silly, but it is the most practical one we made.
This is a picture of the first 4 I made. Two longies, out of the sleeves of the sweaters, and two regular diaper covers out of the body of the sweater. The cover to the right, I had to use left over strips of the sweater to make the leg cuffs, I just hemmed them and sewed them right in.

I tried the longies on her already and I guess they stay in place better if the legs fit comfortably, not large and baggy. So I'll probably take in the seam down each leg slightly. That and the leg cuffs on the covers are a little small since she was sleeping while we made these, I thought I over estimated, but I'll have to take these out as far as I can, which isn't much, but they'll work or I'll just put them away in storage for later use.

I really like them so far, can't believe how good they work.