When I started writing for this site, I had no idea what I was getting into with this part of it. Oh well, I’ll probably spend most of the day trying to describe all of the different types of fibers, but we’ll be ok. I have my cat sitting on the chair next to me being all comforting and stuff.

I’ve looked all over the web and found that a lot of the fibers are repeated. There are about 4 or 5 different kinds of fleece, and PUL can be made out of almost literally anything (though its mostly flannel). So, what I’m gonna do is break it down into categories. Category 1- Layers that will touch the baby’s skin. Category 2- Layers for INSIDE the diaper (very absorbent, wicking, etc). Category 3- Outer Layers (waterproof or water-resistant layers that keep….moisture…. Inside the diaper where it belongs.

Soft Absorbent Layer 1- Touches baby’s skin
Cotton Fleece – Think of a College Sweatshirt. Ok, that’s Cotton Fleece. That’s about all I can say about it. Its not the most common element used in Diapering, or anything else for that matter, because its difficult to find, and interesting to work with. It has a “right side” and a “wrong side.” The “right” side is the flat side, the “wrong” side is the fuzzy side. If I were going to use it (like if I were to cut up an old sweatshirt) I’d put the fuzzy side against the baby. It would be really bulky, so I probably wouldn’t use it.

Flannel – OK, everyone has a pair of flannel PJ’s or a set of flannel sheets (especially if you live in the Midwest). That’s the same stuff. Diaper-Flannel isn’t technically any different. Most of the time the flannel you get in your PJ’s have more dyes and stuff in them than Diaper-Flannel, but they work the same way. There are also organic types of flannel. These are made from organic cotton, hemp, or bamboo.

Birdseye Cotton – Birdseye is a type of cotton weave. Its more open than some diaper fabrics, therefore breathes better. Its really soft and wicks well so it works well for an inside fabric, but it needs to be layered for absorbency and MUST have a waterproof cover.

Terry- Terry is basically anything that looks like a bath-towel. Terry refers to the type of weave used to construct the fabric. There are many different types of terry, and though you can get hemp and bamboo terry, the most common forms are made of cotton. The different weaves tell you what kind of terry it is. Baby-Wash-clothes are generally “micro-terry” which means that the parts of them that are sticking up out of the original weave are very small. This makes micro-terry softer than regular terry. The terry that is used in your regular towels is either called “terry-cloth” or just terry. When you’re looking for diaper fabric terry, go for 100% cotton, bamboo, or hemp. Cotton is, of course, the most common type.

Bamboo- While bamboo isn’t necessarily a “type” of fabric per se, it is a material commonly used in diaper fabrics. You can get bamboo blended with cotton or straight bamboo. The reason people started using bamboo in fabrics is that it has less of an affect on the environment than cotton. You use almost twice as much energy milling cotton as you would bamboo. That being said, a lot of the bamboo items you will find are a little rougher on the baby’s skin. Not generally enough to make you want to stop using them, but they’ll need to be prepped very well in order to not harm the baby. Bamboo is also a little more expensive than cotton. On the other hand, Bamboo is VERY durable. Bamboo diapers made in the same style as a cotton diaper will generally last almost twice as long, making I possible to be used with multiple children.

Velour- Ahh velour, that amazingly soft and luxurious fabric that you just want to rub on your face when you’re using it. Not that I’d recommend rubbing a dirty diaper on your face, but while you’re sewing velour can, at the same time, make you love it and despise it with the undying passion of a thousand suns. It so much fun to play with that you just want to get a swatch and pet it. But when it comes to sewing and cutting, you may be ready to throw in the towel and switch back to using Jersey. Velour can come in Bamboo, Cotton, or Hemp. All of them can be made to be as soft as you might want them to be, but Bamboo or Hemp will be more durable (and more expensive).
Before you start sewing, wash the fabric to pre-shrink. Wash it in exactly the same way you’ll be washing the finished diaper. When cutting velour, make sure you only cut one piece at a time. Its slippery nature can make it very difficult to cut multiple layers and actually get them to be the same size. This ends up wasting a lot of materials and no one wants that. When it comes time to sew, GO SLOW and keep a tight grip on the velour so it doesn’t bunch. You may also want to put your pins closer together so it doesn’t pucker in the machine. This is just the way velour is, a pain in the butt to work with, but once you’re done, SOO beautiful and soft!

Jersey – Ahh Jersey, the frugal-shopper’s choice. Jersey is basically T-Shirt material. Its hard to find as just material, but who doesn’t have a butt-load of old t-shirt that are crying out to be used in some unique way. When I started out making diapers, Jersey was basically the only thing I had. I made a bunch of diapers just to see if I could do it. My husband and I ended up with 14 shirts apiece because sewing them became so addictive. It is SOO easy to work with. You can cut as many layers as you want without worrying about them slipping all over the place. Most sewing machines (or hand-stitchers) have no problems with this material, you can even use an old needle and it doesn’t care. The only problem with it is that there’s really not much to it. It IS absorbent, but you need several layers to get the absorbency you need and then it becomes bulky. But, for all intensive purposes, it makes a good inner-layer as its just about the same sort of material as the baby’s other clothes.

Minkee Blankee (it is recommended for outside use because its so soft YOU’ll wanna feel it… but I say its an inside layer since its NOT waterproof)
Sherpa

REALLY absorbent Layer 2 – Some Can’t Touch baby’s Skin
Cotton Fleece
Terry
Microfiber
Sherpa
Microfleece
Suedecloth

Outer Waterproof or Water-Resistant Layer 3
PUL
Polyester Fleece
Wool
Windpro Fleece

http://daddytypes.com/2006/09/24/bamboo_fiber_diapers_people_can_you_get_any_greener.php

http://www.celticclothswholesale.com/

http://www.zany-zebra.com/diaper-fabric.shtml

http://www.thethreadedbranch.com/pages/newfabricsarticle.php

http://diaperkit.com/store/index.php?main_page=page&id=10

http://www.mothering.com/discussions/showthread.php?t=262524

http://www.diapercuts.com/store/WsDefault.asp?one=138

http://www.diaperpin.com/clothdiapers/article_sherpa.asp

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/308751/best_fabrics_for_sewing_your_own_cloth.html