Friends are expecting baby number two so they've decided that she will stay home with their children. To cut corners, they've been looking into cloth diapers and asked me to work up a price for the materials to make them. I've searched through so many different patterns online but I'm not finding a pattern that answers my main question: What do you put in them for absorption? And what do you use on the outside for leak control? I've seen these things handmade in the past but never had cause to inspect them. All the online patterns do is give me yardage for fabrics to be used, not a description of the fabrics.

My kids used them. I made them out of plain white cotton flannel and used rubber pants over them to stop the leaks. All I did was cut them to a certain size and zig zaged the edges so they didn't fray. Need big diaper pins tho for them. Don't remember the size I made them, but you had to fold them and then fold again so they fit the baby.

I saw somewhere that cloth diapers are very expensive to buy at a baby shop. i haven't priced them at all. It really would save money once you get a supply of the,. be a nice shower gift also..

So are you talking about the ones that are 'pre-folded' with a stitched down overlap in the center like I used for my oldest two?

The ones with the overlap seemed to be made of fabric similar to hucktoweling and were folded in such a way that there was double thickness at the edges and triple thickness in the middle 1/3. I'm sure you could use flannel as an extra lining in the middle if you wanted to.

We used 'plastic pants' that were sort of like bloomers with elastic at the waist and legs to keep the outer clothes dry/clean. Some of these were 'built-in' to shorts or bloomers to match an outfit. For instance you could do pink with ruffles for a girl or denim with a pocket for a boy.

There is a "green" diaper system. I'm not sure how it works. My niece uses them. I'll see if I can get info.

http://www.zany-zebra.com/free-cloth...patterns.shtml
Here is a resource link that has lots of link information. Happy searching.

http://www.diaperjungle.com/sewing-cloth-diapers.html

I was looking into make some of those fancy prefolded fitted cloth diapers that just used velcro to close like a disposable diaper but after I did some research I decided it was too much work. The person wasn't a good enough friend for me to go to all that work. http://fernandfaerie.com/sewing_fitteds.html

Good heavens. Cloth diapering has come along way in the last 10-15yrs. Your friend couldn't get a cheaper set-up than to order a bunch of QUALITY cotton prefolds (NOT Gerber) and some diaper covers. These are generally made out of PUL (poly-urethane laminate). For about $100 she could have all the dipes needed from NB to potty training.
Also, there is a huge market out there selling used diapering supplies. She should totally check out Mothering.com and start reading about all of the cloth diapering options available these days. They also have an area where folks buy and sell stuff.
I cloth diapered my two girls (4 and 6yr)
Some of my favorite dipes were the FuzziBunz, it was a pocket that I just stuffed with a folded microfiber towel that I bought in a big pack from Costco....

I made mine many yrs ago, 35, made from white cotton flannel. Length of fabrick, folded lengthwise so dbl on outside thirds, triple in middle. Stitched down the length at tirdand two-third lines. Then cut to length desired, zigzag or serge raw edges. Weused rubber pants over them.

You buy 10 yd or so of flannel and you csn get quite a few diapers out of that. You would to keep them washed every day so they didn't stink and turn color anyway.

My SIL uses them. She has the diaper and then there is a separate shell (insert that is used to absorb wetness). She bought ones that were already made. She is using them to save $$$ so I assume buying them was alot cheaper than disposable diapers.