Custom Fitting Your Chloe Toes Diapers

We think our Chloe Toes diapers provide a fantastic fit for most babies.  However, we know that like adults, babies come in all shapes and sizes.  Therefore, a pattern which fits one baby perfectly may need some adjustments in order to achieve the same comfortable and leak-proof fit for a different baby whose body shape is very different. 

To help you choose your pattern size, a recommended weight range is given.  Please note that the ranges are wide and that there is some overlap between recommended weight ranges and sizes.  This reflects the wide range of sizes and shapes of our children.  You may even discover that your child fits a larger or smaller size than the recommended weight ranges would suggest.  For this reason, we suggest that, if possible, you sew a "tester" diaper in the predicted size, to check fit before cutting and sewing an entire supply of diapers.

To determine size, choose the size which most closely matches your child.  In our experience, chubby babies tend to need a larger size at a smaller weight than long, lean babies.  Therefore, if your child is in between sizes, choose the larger size if you have a chunky baby and the smaller size if you have a thin baby.

Sew a test diaper, then check the fit of the diaper on your child.  If you are not able to try the diaper on your child, you may compare to another diaper which fits well.  Then decide whether you like the fit of the diaper or whether you need to make any changes to achieve the proper fit.  I suggest that you observe your child wearing the diaper for awhile before making up your mind about fit.  You will best appreciate fit once your child has had the diaper on and moved about actively for a period of time. 

If you decide there are any fitting issues you would like to correct, you may then return to your original pattern tracing and make the appropriate changes.  The instructions below are for making a number of the most common fitting adjustments for cloth diapers.  We recommend that you make only one change at a time, as changes in one area of fit will affect the fit in other areas.  If you wish to change more than one parameter of the diaper, read through the alteration instructions for both parameters before making changes.  Often a single change to the diaper pattern will affect two separate parameters of fit simultaneously (ie: making leg openings smaller and widening the crotch can be achieved at the same time with a single alteration). We also recommend that you make changes in small increments.  It is a common mistake to "overcorrect" for fitting problems.  Small changes may make a big difference in the fit of a garment as small as a baby diaper.  Each time you make a change, sew a test diaper and check the fit.  Also, remember to write down all of the alterations you make, so that you will not forget them and will be able to reproduce them.

This may seem like a lot of work.  And it is.  But for most babies, special adjustments will not be necessary.  The basic tester will most likely fit fine.  For those babies who need special adjustments, we believe you will come to appreciate the time you invested in achieving a perfect custom fit for your little one.  Diapers that fit well will be more comfortable and far less likely to leak.  And once you are satisfied with the fit, you may cut and sew a large number of diapers all at one time, assembly-line style.  This method is very fast and efficient. 

Happy Sewing!

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Fit problem:  leg openings too large

1)  The simplest approach to altering the size of  too-large leg openings is to pull the FOE tighter as you apply it.  Also, be sure your stitch length is not too short.  Elastic loses its recovery if there are too many closely-spaced stitches going through it.

2)  If pulling the FOE tighter is not sufficient, move the elastic gathering marks further apart so that a larger area of each leg opening will be gathered.

3)  If neither of these adjustments is sufficient, or if there are additional alterations desired (such as a wider crotch or shorter rise) then changes may be made to the pattern which will affect several parameters of fit simultaneously.

4)  To decrease the size of leg openings and increase crotch width simultaneously, draw a new pattern outline along the leg opening, slightly wider than the original.  Begin by adding about 1/4" all along the edge of the leg opening, tapering to the original width at each wing.  Changes should be make in small increments.  Remember that 1/4" added to each side of the diaper increases the crotch width by 1/2" (double the amount, since it is added to both sides).  Now test the new pattern.  If the diaper requires further adjustment, continue to adjust a little bit at a time until the diaper fits as desired.

In this photo, the original diaper pattern is on the right and the altered pattern on the left.  Note wider crotch and smaller leg openings on the altered pattern.  The rise length and waist size are unchanged.

5).  To decrease the size of leg openings and decrease the length of the rise simultaneously, fold the pattern horizontally across the center crotch in order to shorten the total crotch length.   The resulting diaper pattern will have smaller leg openings and a shorter rise without affecting the waist size. 

In this photo, the original diaper pattern is on the left and the altered pattern on the right.  Note shorter rise and smaller leg openings on the altered pattern.  The waist size is unchanged.  The crotch width is not altered, although the narrowest segment is shortened.

 

Fit problem:  leg openings too small

1)  The simplest approach to altering the size of  too-small leg openings is to apply the FOE more loosely. 

2)  Alternately, you may move the elastic gathering marks closer together so that a smaller area of each leg opening will be gathered.

3)  If neither of these adjustments is sufficient, or if there are additional alterations desired (such as a narrower crotch or longer rise) then changes may be made to the pattern which will affect several parameters of fit simultaneously.

4)  To increase the size of leg openings and increase the length of the rise simultaneously, slash the pattern horizontally across the crotch and spread the pattern pieces apart to lengthen.  Tape a new piece of pattern paper in place to fill the gap.  The resulting diaper pattern will have larger leg openings and a longer rise without affecting waist size.

 

 

In this photo, the original diaper pattern is on the left and the altered pattern on the right.  Note longer rise and larger leg openings on the altered pattern.  The waist size is unchanged.  The crotch width is not altered, although the narrowest segment is lengthened.

Fit problem:  waist too large

1)  The simplest approach to altering the size of  too-large waist is to pull the FOE tighter as you apply it.  Also, be sure your stitch length is not too short.  Elastic loses its recovery if there are too many closely-spaced stitches going through it.

2)  If pulling the FOE tighter is not sufficient, move the elastic gathering marks further apart so that a larger area of the waist will be gathered.

3)  If neither of these adjustments is sufficient, or if there are additional alterations desired (such as a narrower crotch or smaller leg openings) then changes may be made to the pattern which will affect several parameters of fit simultaneously.

Fit problem:  waist too small

1)  The simplest approach to altering the size of  a too-small waist is to apply the FOE more loosely. 

2)  Alternately, you may move the elastic gathering marks closer together so that a smaller area of the waistline will be gathered.

3)  If neither of these adjustments is sufficient, or if there are additional alterations desired (such as a wider crotch or larger leg openings) then changes may be made to the pattern which will affect several parameters of fit simultaneously.

 

 

 

Fit problem:  crotch too wide

Fit problem:  crotch too narrow

1)  If you wish to make the crotch wider without affecting any of the other fit parameters, you will need to first slash the pattern lengthwise down the center from end to end and then make a series of slashes across the pattern horizontally from side to side.  Spread apart the pattern pieces along the lengthwise slash line to add the desired width to the crotch.  The pattern pieces will rotate and overlap slightly at the horizontal slash lines, maintaining the original dimensions of rise length, waist size and leg opening size.

Fit problem:  rise too short

Fit problem:  rise too long