This is one of those articles that may be a little difficult to write. As I am one who generally does all of her sewing by hand, most people will choose to use a sewing machine or a serger. SO, in light of that knowledge, I did do quite a bit of my sewing on the machine simply so I could tell you guys of my struggles and triumphs with the thing.

Either way, Here is a comprehensive list of the equipment necessary for diaper making.

1. You need a Basket, Bucket, or Tub… something to keep all your supplies all in one place. If you’re like me and have several projects going at once, its nice to have all the supplies for one project in one place… that way you’re not searching for your supplies for the first half-hour of your precious sewing time. For my sewing projects, I have a small wicker basket (which may soon be turning into an ice-cream bucket because my kitty likes joining my sewing supplies in the basket, and that’s never a good thing). I also have a policy of keeping ONLY the diaper I’m working on in my basket, that way it doesn’t get cluttered with other stuff and I don’t get my patterns mixed up. The other hundred or so things that I’ll get back to eventually are up in the office in a big tub. I’m still wanting to make me a nice, flowing dress, but since I don’t even have the material for that, it’ll have to wait.

2. You need a good set of needles. You’ll be sewing through PUL (if you can afford it) and Velcro and the dreaded Elastic. These take a good needle. I started out with just a needle from my husband’s little cheap sewing kit because I hadn’t gotten my sewing supplies from my parents’ house yet and it broke trying to sew on the velcro… yeah, bad. Whether you’re using a machine or sewing by hand, a good needle is essential. In fact, when sewing velcro and PUL, a ball-point needle is about the best you can get.

3. A GOOD pair of scissors or a rotary cutter. You have no idea what a bad pair of scissors can do to your confidence (and your fabric) until you’ve used a pair, likewise you have no idea what a good pair of scissors can do until you’ve used one. Get a pair of scissors that are JUST for sewing, don’t cut ANYTHING else with them! PERIOD!!!! If you cut paper, plastic, or anything else your kids, husband, roommates have lying around with them, they’ll dull and you’ll be back to being frustrated with horrible scissors. If you do manage to dull out your scissors, they can be sharpened. Look through the yellow pages for a knife-sharpening place or sharpen them with the turkey-knife sharpener from Thanksgiving run the steel rod through the scissors from pivot to point. You can also cut steel wool, sandpaper, or emery paper with scissors and it helps to keep them sharp and to sharpen dulling scissors.
A rotary cutter is basically a pizza cutter for fabric. It allows you to cut through several layers of material at one time (which is nice when you’re trying to get 4 pieces all the same exact shape and size). The blades are VERY sharp, so if you have little ones running around already, make sure to keep it in a safe place (locked up is actually best). You also need to have a rotary board for a rotary cutter. It is slightly rough and keeps the fabric in place as well as preventing your cutting surface from being damaged. A rotary board is also designed to protect the blade and using one will prevent the blade from becoming dull quickly.

4. Measuring Tape or Board. I have a measuring Tape. It works pretty well and is more useful when you’re measuring a person. So I went with versatility. But a board is nice to have when cutting and measuring fabric. It also makes it so you always have a flat surface and you don’t have to take up half the dining room table.