KCK Swim Diaper Sew-Along

Cutting Your Fabric

Download and print the Kayla's Cloth Kits swim diaper pattern.  Trace the pattern onto both you inner and outer fabric pieces. Cut the fabric to match the pattern exactly (seam allowances are included in the pattern). Use the KCK cloth swim diaper pattern to mark the elastic tack points on your INNER fabric.  Shown: pink lycra OUTER fabric and a white suedecloth INNER fabric.

Attaching the front loop tape

Measure and cut the amount of front soft (loop) tape indicated in your instructions for the size of cloth swim diaper that you are making. Center the loop tape well on the RIGHT SIDE (good or printed side that faces the outside of the diaper) of your OUTER (my pink) fabric. This should be placed approximately 1 inch from the cut line (see picture below). Use a small zigzag stitch to attach the soft loop tape to your fabric, reinforcing the start and stop points.

Attaching the crossover tab (optional)

Cut one piece of loop (soft) tape 1.5"x1.5" long for the crossover tab (this gives more adjustability in the waistline). Center the loop tape on the diaper wing of your choice-make sure to place it on the good side of the fabric that will face the outside of the swim diaper when it is finished. The loop tape should be about ½ inch from the end of the tab. See the picture below for proper placement.

Sew the loop tape to the swim diaper's wing using a zigzag stitch, being sure to reinforce the start and stop points.

Attaching closure tabs

Cut two pieces of hook (rough) tape 1.5"x1.5" long. Cut two pieces of loop (soft) tape 1.5"x1.5" long (laundry tabs). Attach one piece of cut hook to one piece of cut loop by zigzag stitching back and forth several times to stitch the two together.

Center the hook and loop pieces on the RIGHT SIDE of the diaper inner (white suedecloth fabric is shown). These should be sewn onto the good or printed side that will be the inside of the cloth swim diaper on each of the swim diaper wings. The rough (hook) loop tape should be closest to the outside edge of the wing and the soft (loop) tape should be towards the center of the cloth swimdiaper (see the pictures below).



Use a small zigzag stitch to attach the hook and loop pieces to the diaper inner, reinforcing the start and stop points. Repeat these steps on the other cloth swim diaper wing.

Sewing the diaper together

Place the outer and inner swim diaper fabrics right sides (good side of the fabric) facing out, wrong sides together.

Starting at the back of the cloth swim diaper, use a ¼ inch seam allowance to sew the outer and inner layers of the diaper together with a straight stitch. Continue sewing around the cloth swim diaper until you reach the starting point again. When you are finished, the two layers should be sewn completely together. Trim any excess fabric all the way around the stitching.

Binding with FOE (fold over elastic)

Measure and cut the amount of Fold over elastic (FOE) indicated in your instructions for the size of cloth swim diaper you are making. Fold the last ¼� of the FOE over.


Tack the FOE down to the front of the cloth swim diaper (where the long loop tape is) reinforcing your start point. I like to sew with the diaper inner (white material) facing up as it is often easier to sew than the swim material.

Fold the FOE over your cloth swim diaper and begin sewing the FOE to your swim diaper without stretching it. Sew the fold over elastic to the cloth swim diaper using a three step zigzag stitch. If you don�t have a three step zig zag stitch, then you can use a regular zig zag, making the stitches as wide as possible. Make sure that as many stitches as possible hit your diaper fabric so ensure a good binding.


Contine sewing around the cloth swim diaper without stretching the FOE until your reach the first leg elastic mark. Stop sewing, put your needle down in to the cloth swim diaper, and stretch the FOE as taut as possible with one hand while guiding the fabric above the presser foot with your other hand.

Sew the FOE down to the diaper slowly, stretching and then sewing about 3-4 inches at a time. Make sure to go very slowly around the curves. Be sure to catch the diaper fabric completely as you sew.
Keep pulling the FOE taught and sewing until you reach the next leg elastic mark. When you pass the leg elastic mark return to using the fold over elastic as a binding without stretching it. Continue sewing, stretching the FOE only in the leg and back regions between the elastic tack marks.


Be sure to sew carefully and slowly as you go around the curves at the front of the diaper and on the wings. Your fold over elastic binding should encase the rough edges of the hook tape in the swim diaper wings as you round the corners of the wings.


When you reach the point at which you began, cut about a 1/4� excess of FOE. Fold the end of your FOE in allowing for a nicely finished edge. Sew the end to the starting FOE to complete the binding and reinforce your stop point.

KCK swim diaper washing instructions: Wash your KCK cloth swim diaper in the same way that you would wash cloth diapers.  Use warm to hot water with very little detergent (about 1/8 of the manufacturer's suggested amount).  An extra rinse cycle is advisable to prevent build up of detergent on your swim diaper.  The Kayla's Cloth Kits swim diapers can be dried in a dryer or air dried.