Flat diapers experiment

I had a couple of used flannel sheets to work with a while back, and decided to experiment by making flat diapers out of them, instead of prefolds. (A set of prefold instructions, not by me, are here; I use a similar method--a center pad sandwiched between two outer layers--but I cut the outside layers as one piece, if possible.)

For flat diapers, all you do is cut large rectangles and hem them. To use one on a baby, you fold the diaper into a smaller rectangle, or a triangle, trying to put the greatness thickness where it will be needed the most. Then pin at the sides with diaper pins, and put on a water-resistant diaper cover, which could be PUL, or wool, or nylon "plastic pants", or an empty pocket diaper (any of which may need to be handwashed, depending on your washer; read the manual).

(Diaper pins are not so easy to find anymore, except online; the last time we bought them was by special order.)

The main advantage of flat diapers is that they are easier (and faster) to wash and dry than prefolds.

I did notice, though, that they seemed to be shedding more lint in the dryer than my prefold diapers ever did. I think this is because the entirety of both sides of the fabric is exposed; with a prefold diaper, the inner layers are more protected from abrasion, and any lint they shed might be trapped inside the diaper.

So I expect that the flat diapers will have a somewhat shorter lifespan than the prefolds. A prefold might take me 45 minutes or so to cut and sew; a flat diaper under ten minutes.

I think I got about ten flat diapers out of a single full/double flannel sheet, but that was probably from the sheet that was very worn in the middle.

I will also add that I was reminded recently about the old practice of "turning" an old (flat) sheet to extend its lifespan:  cut it down the middle the long way, and make the old middle into the new edges, and the old edges into the new middle. This leaves a seam down the center, but that is tolerable. I have a sheet (made by L.L. Bean) that has been going strong for over a decade, which I plan to use this technique on, when the time comes.