Monster Pants Cloth Diapers

Making diapers started as a matter of practicality. I have been a seamstress for nearly ten years, and so when a baby was on the way, making my own diapers seemed to make sense. I loved making Addy’s diapers and quickly made more than strictly necessary for one baby. Next I started to make diapers for friends and soon after that began to create my brand: Monster Pants.

 A run of the mill line up that includes a bridal gown (needed a new zipper and to be taken in), a couple of skirts (needed to be altered to a more modern fit to be worn below the waist), a bridesmaid dress (needed to be hemmed), a sundress (also needed to be hemmed), and a men’s suit (the pants needed to be hemmed, the jacket taken in, and the sleeves shortened). Not pictured are the diapers that I was making this week as well. Those can be seen at facebook.com/MonsterPants.

Before I discovered the joys of diaper making, I worked primarily on formal wear. I have fitted more brides than I can count! I love to see brides in their dresses. It tends to be a happy time for everyone and it is a joy to be a part of that. Finding time to work on huge, fluffy bridal gowns became difficult when Addy, my little monster, became mobile. Dresses with four-digit price tags do not come out on top after an encounter with a toddler. I never had a dress come to harm, but it was tricky to work on the dresses while Addy was sleeping or while DH was on baby-duty and ensure the dresses were ready by their due dates. And so, I have changed my clientele largely from the bridal industry to the diaper-wearing crowd.

I still do alterations to bridal gowns, bridesmaid dresses, and suits. I also hem pants, replace coat and pants zippers, and patch holey clothing. But mostly, I sew diapers. It is easier to fit diaper sewing into everyday reality with a little monster running loose. I also just plain enjoy interacting with parents and helping them make cloth diapering work for their families. I have helped quite a few people onto the cloth diapering bandwagon and I am proud of it!

What was a major influence on your choice to use cloth diapers?

Every Monster Pants diaper, cover, insert, and accessory is made right here. I intentionally didn’t tidy up before taking a photo of my workshop. This is the condition in which you will usually find it. Toys on the floor, something on the table waiting to be cut or sewn. Machines at the ready. I am surprised to see a trash bin on the floor. Addy must have been napping just prior to the picture being taken. Usually trash bins have to be on the table or else I’ll find piles of thread and fabric scraps strewn throughout the house.

In the background you see part of a bookcase. My dad and I built those just after Christmas. I am a huge book nerd. To quantify, I regularly read 60-75 books a year pre-Addy. In 2011, my first full year of being a mom, I read only 36 books. Makes me a little sad. But at least I get to sew surrounded by my books. Snuggling and playing with dear Addy is more than adequate compensation for reading time anyway.

To keep this room tidy, my fabric is stored in the basement. The shelves that held my books prior to the new shelving are now full of a variety of fabric. There are several shelves of PUL, both solids and prints. There are even more shelves of cotton interlock. Some flannel prints. Rolls of Sherpa, bamboo fleece, suedecloth, hemp, cotton flannel, and birdseye cotton line one wall. It is quite formidable. Which is why it doesn’t live on the main floor of the house. It also helps me stay focused on one project at a time. The fabric on the table is the project winning my attention. The hundreds of others buzzing around in my head are forced to wait their turn, until the table is cleared again!

Thanks for taking a mini-tour of the Monster Pants headquarters. If you haven’t already, be sure to enter the February Giveaway for your chance to win a bamboo snap-in insert. The drawing is Monday, February 6th!

Which gets you more excited: Crafting space or bookshelves (or neither!)?