My 2 cents on Pocket Diapers

Most of the diapers that I use for my DD are pockets. It just made sense to me to be able to adjust the amount of absorbent filler as needed (very important for the one-size diapers that have to grow with her bladder) and they seem to wash and dry much easier than all-in-ones.

The difficulty with pockets is the opening. I have made both back-opening pockets (using the method shown in the Jalie Diaper Pattern tutorial) and sham pockets with a front opening in the liner fabric.  The different methods for making pocket openings have their pros and cons - for both sewing and for use.  We all have our different preferences and these are my observations.

Back-Opening Pocket

My favorite method is the back opening. It takes more work than the sham pocket, but my hands stay cleaner when taking the diaper apart for washing. All it takes is grabbing the front part of the waist in one hand, the soaker material in the other hand, and a quick tug. So long as there is enough space in the "twist" in the crotch, even my non-petite hands can re-stuff the diaper without any hassle.

Front Sham Opening

My favorite method for sewing, but not for use is the front sham. It sews together very quickly - only one piece of elastic in the back and no worries about leaving a turn hole that is required with an all-in-one. Stuffing isn't that bad, but it's the fact that it always seems to be a mess when I try to clean the diaper. I'm not squeamish, but it never fails that there's a mess that hits the sham opening. Icky-poo.



Last, and my least favorite, is just a slit cut into liner fabric in the back. This wasn't a diaper that I made, but one that I bought from a WAHM. Yes, it has a bit of the same icky-poo issues that the sham pocket has. No, the fabric didn't fray or tear (microchamois), but the way the fabric has stretched out of shape and it just looks unprofessional. Yes, it is a very fast and easy way to make a pocket, but it just isn't something that I would choose to do.