What kind of fabrics are suitable for sewing nappies?
Any 80% or more cotton fabric can be used to sew nappies. 100 % cotton is best but 80% works as well. Examples include terry, flannelette, flannel, and sherpa. Hemp is also very excellent – hemp manufacture is more environmentally friendly than cotton, and hemp is much more trim than cotton for the same absorbency. It does tend to be significantly more expensive, however. Hemp comes in different varieties – hemp jersey, hemp fleece, and hemp terry. Don’t confuse hemp fleece with polyester polar fleece used for nappy covers, or with tracksuiting fleece, which is a synthetic cotton blend. “Fleece” just means that the fabric has a soft, brushed finish. Bamboo is a new fabric on the market. Bamboo is very absorbent, remains softer than hemp, and has a good rinsability, resisting smells. There are different varieties of bamboo – some are all-natural and some are not. If you have more information on this, please let us know! Some microfibre can be used as an inner absorbent layer in nappies.
