All in Two (AI2)

What is It?

An all in two diaper was one of the most confusing concepts for me to pick up in the first place.  I had the AIO, I had the Pocket, and I was trying to figure out how the AI2 fit in there!  Anyway, I’ve finally figured it out, so here it goes.  An AI2 is a fitted diaper with an extra insert (sometimes washable, sometimes disposable) that attaches to the diaper on the inside of the diaper next to the baby’s skin.  There are even AI2s that can be converted into Pocket Diapers.  The real advantage of an AI2 is that if the liner isn’t soaked through, the liner can be replaced and you don’t have to wash the whole body of the diaper.  That saves a bit on Laundry.  Also, the liner ATTACHES to the diaper so its not like the disposable liners that you can get that may slip (making it so that you’d have to change the whole diaper anyway).  They’re also thicker than the disposable liners which makes it more likely that the diaper itself wont get soaked and make you have to change the whole diaper.  Some of the liners are even water-proofed.
With AI2s you get as many liners as you would diapers of another kind, then as many diaper-bodies as you think you might need (I’d suggest at least 24 liners and 12 bodies).   This is a lot like getting flats or prefolds with covers, but since the diaper body is also very absorbant, you don’t have to worry so much about leaks.
The post popular brand of AI2 is pictured here.  Its “Gro-Baby” They have awesome patterns, but I don’t like the velcro.  It is micro-velcro and wears out quite quickly.  (By quite quickly, I mean, it lasted about 6 months, which compared to snaps, is quite quick)

How are they Used?

You have to snap the insert into the diaper before placing it on the child, but its easier than stuffing a pocket.  Also, you can snap them in right out of the dryer and make it easier for you in the long run (a lot of people pre-stuff their pockets too).

When changing a baby, you take the old diaper off, and if the diaper-body isn’t soiled, you unsnap the liner, toss it in the wetbag or diaper pail, wipe the cover with a wet-wipe, then attach a new liner to the body.  Lay the baby on the diaper and then bring the wings and center up and snap or velcro.  Easy Peasy One Two Threesie (oh yeah, I just wrote that out!).

Sizes

All in two diapers come in basically four sizes.  Newborn/Preemie, Size 1 (infant), Size 2 (crawler), and size 3 (toddler).  They can also come in One Size.The dimmensions of each size differ from brand-to-brand so it is hard to put  a standard size on them. Therefore, like a lot of disposables, Most diapers that come in sizes go by weight of the baby.   For a reference to what the normal weight-differences are between sizes of diapers, consult the “sizing your child” section.  (by clicking that link)

Materials Used

All in twos are made from a variety of different fabrics.  Most of them have some sort of soft material for both the most-outside and most-inside layers.  This can be flannel or cotton.   Most AI2 diapers use PUL as a waterproofing layer.  The laminated material is breathable without allowing moisture to escape the diaper. This layer is either Directly on the outside (the Laminated side on the inside of the diaper) or under one layer of softer material (depending on the material that had been laminated).  The inside of the diaper may also contain microfiber or another material that is highly absorbent

Sewing

AI2s are easier than AIOs to make, but making the insert can be interesting.  Since the AI2 is one of the most recent diaper styles to be invented, there have been many variations to what the insert is “supposed” to look like.  Also, there are various ways of attaching the liner to the diaper (most people use snaps) and finding what works best for you may take a little trial and error.If you are using PUL, you have to make sure you don’t sew too much on the PUL because too many holes would defeat the purpose of it.  This makes it a little harder to make them look cute.  I chose to put another layer on the outside of the PUL so I wouldn’t have to worry about poking holes in the PUL when I embroidered.  Also when using PUL, sewing on the velcro patches can be interesting because you are going through the tough laminate and the layer of velcro backing.  Getting a sturdy needle is essential at this point.
Like sewing all fitted diapers, you also have to contend with Elastic, which, to a novice, can be a daunting task.  When I started making cloth, I’d never used Elastic before, and by the third diaper, I was sewing like an expert.  I could hand-sew elastic and machine sew the elastic though my fingers much preferred the use of my mother’s battered machine (I really need to get one of my own).So, here goes the instructions.
1. Cut out all your pieces
– 4 layers of body (3 regular fabric, 1 PUL)
– 4-6 layers for Insert
– Velcro Pieces or snaps, which ever you prefer.
– Don’t cut the elastic at this point, its easier to stretch a long piece (yay trial and lots of error)
2. Sew the body pieces together, two at a time. (sew them wrong-side out and then flip)
3. Attach the snaps to the layer without the PUL (This will be the inside of the diaper)
4. Sew all body pieces together adding Velcro and Elastic to make basically a fitted diaper.
5. Attach the Snaps to the bottom 1-2 layers of the Liner
6. Sew the liner together (Wrong side out, then flip… make sure to put the snaps-layers in the middle so     they’re on the outside when you flip)
7.  Snap the whole thing together to make sure it fits right.
8.  Sew another couple of liners for this diaper.

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