Pins: If you are havin' a difficult
time gettin' pins through the fabric, try stickin' the tips of the
pins in a bar of soap (you can put it in a sock or muslin tea bag if
you're gettin' soap bits everywhere... try plain old glycerin
soap, too) or running them through your hair before usin' them. If the pins
feel like they're catchin' on the fabric, especially if this happens when removing
the pins from the fabric, your pins need replacin' (they're either
damaged or badly made).
To get a snug fit, make sure that you are pinnin'
through the back corners/wings and the top layers of the front center panel
without any gaps of space between them on the pin, otherwise the fabric
can rock back and forth and loosen the fit considerably. Be sure to use the
entire length of the pin, so that only 1/8-1/4" or less of the tip is
exposed to click into the pin head; if you need to, you can always
scrunch the fabric down to get the pins closed.
X
Always keep your fingers between the diaper and
your baby's skin when pinnin' for safety and use lockin' metal-headed
pins made especially for diaperin' (like Dritz pins).
Snappis: If you are havin' a difficult
time gettin' the snappi to catch the fabric, try holdin' the diaper from
the inside and stretch the corners over your fingers. This keeps
the fabric from moving and creates a smooth ridge, so the hooks in the
snappi can get a more even grip. For the lower arm, hold the top
of the front center panel taut and make a scoopin' motion (like you're
tryin' to scoop up the diaper with the snappi) when you fasten it.
X
Tyin' the corners: If you are usin'
the origami fold (or the kite fold on a small baby), you can tie the
corners and forget about pins and snappis for a while. The only
trick to tyin' for a snug fit is to make sure the fabric along the edges
(from the top waistband and bottom legs) are evenly taut when you tie
them.
X
If you're tyin' a diaper on a very active,
crawling baby, you may want to secure the center panel with a pin/snappi
so it can't pull out from under the knot accidentally.
Layin' in a wrap: If you
are usin' a snug, wrap-style cover, this is the easiest way to
go! Flats may be folded into a prefold, then trifolded and set
in the center of the wrap. For a little extra protection against
blowouts, you can flare the back corners into a V (see the first step
of the tucked angel fold).
X
This does leak and blowout easier than the other
fastenin' methods, so you will need more covers than you would if you
used pins/snappi.
Gettin' a better fit at the thighs: To
get the legs tighter, fasten lower down along the back corners. To
get more leg room, fasten higher up along the back corners, and tuck in
more of the extra length along the leg.
Preventin' blowouts at the thighs: Tuck
in just a bit (1/2" or so) along the legs, but leave the length a
little long. If you are usin' pins, fasten them vertically on
either side of your baby's hips, catching the sides of the front center
panel and keeping an even tension across the back. The idea is to
keep the front center panel from saggin' or bunchin' and leavin' a gap.
Preventin' blowouts up the back: Fasten
a little lower than the very top edge of the back corners. If you
are usin' pins, fasten them vertically on either side of your baby's
hips, catching the sides of the front center panel and keeping an even
tension across the back. The idea is to make a 1" or so band
of snugness across the back instead of just a snug line.
TM