So I began my search. Do you know how hard it is to find a nice baby doll that does not cry, pee, laugh or some other annoying battery-operated baby simulation? And then you find one and it is going to cost you an arm and a leg. I did end up finding one, not exactly what I wanted, but I had to keep in mind that baby was going to be dragged and banged around by a two year old. And baby came with a little bassinet type bed, which meant one less thing Mommy was going to have to find and/or make! So that was the big thing off my list, now I still needed to find a few more accessories. Ideally I wanted a diaper bag and a stroller. The stroller was easy to find. The diaper bag - not so much. I really didn't want to just get a flimsy little bag with junk in it.
After searching and searching (and refusing to pay $50 for a dolly diaper bag), I did what any other mother would do. I headed to pinterest (you knew that was coming didn't you??) I saw a cute little diaper bag on pinterest that was made out a scrapbooking caddy. But finding a suitable caddy, at a price I was willing to pay, with limited locations to shop was pretty much impossible. Then I had a brainwave - what about a travel toiletry bag? It would have various compartments and pockets and you can get them in all kinds of stylish designs. So I headed to Bentley to see what they had and sure enough I found a cute quilted toiletry bag that was just the right size to hold dolly diapers, a few bibs and a toy bottle.
When I first hatched this idea in my mind I envisioned myself sewing bibs, cloth diapers, burp cloths and a change pad out of matching fabric. But as the time crunch hit - keep in mind I was 37ish weeks preggo - I knew the sewing list was going to have to be chopped drastically! So I decided to focus on the diapers. Of course I searched pinterest and found a few tutorials but I wasn't happy with the size or they looked too complicated, so I drew up my own template and set about making cloth diapers. Check out below for the tutorial!
Baby Doll Cloth Diapers
For this project you will need paper pattern, 2 squares of coordinating fabric, velcro, and coordinating thread.
First I made my pattern on paper. The diaper on the left is Baby Stella's and it is pretty flimsy so I decided to bulk it up a bit. Plus I wanted her to be able to use it for other dolls and stuffed animals too.
Next I chose my fabric, one for the outer and one for the lining. I used a plain flannel for the lining which turned out to be a very good choice as it stays put on Stella and doesn't slide off. I placed my fabrics good sides together and pinned my pattern on. At this point you could cut out the diapers leaving a seam allowance but for simplicity sake I traced the pattern with marker (I would recommend a marker specifically made to wash out and not a permanent one like mine - but you live and learn right?)
As you can see the fabrics are good sides together and pattern traced and ready to sew.
Since baby dolls are so messy, I needed to make more than one diaper. I used two different cotton prints because we all like a little variety in our diaper stashes.
Stitch along the marker line being sure to leave a gap in the top seam so that you can flip them right-side out. Then cut out the diapers leaving a small seam allowance. I also cut slits along the material in the curve and cut the corners for a better fit and form.
Turn diapers right-side out through the hole.
Top stitch around the diapers. This allows you to stitch the hole closed at the top and it makes them look nicer (and I am sure that is the first thing Lucy noticed, right?)
Sew on your velcro. I sewed a line through mine as I knew Lucy was not going to be easy on the tabs and I wanted them to stay put.
Stella modeling the cloth diapers.
My daughter loves them and every once in a while even her Teddy gets to wear one! Happy (Dolly) Diapering!
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