A rainbow for Mommy's Little Rainbow. What's a rainbow baby? A rainbow baby is a baby that is born after the Mother has had a miscarriage or loss of a baby. This diaper cover will look so cute on any little rainbow.

This Instructable includes a pattern to print off to make the cover but does not include the embroidery design.

This Instructable will walk you through the steps on how to sew your own diaper cover with or without poly fil in the "cloud" and with or without an embroidery design added. I chose to add poly fil to give it more character and add some fun but it isn't required. The embroidery design was custom created by me, and isn't available to purchase, however you can visit my Instructable on how to create a custom design of your own.

https://www.instructables.com/id/Rainbow-Baby-Design/

Step 1: Supplies

You Need

Computer, Printer, and Paper (to print off the pattern I made for you)

Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, and Purple KAM snaps

KAM snap pliers

Scissors

3/8" inch elastic (13 1/2 " piece)

White, Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, and Purple PUL fabric or cotton fabric

White PUL fabric if wanting to make it waterproof or white cotton fabric for inside

Sewing Machine or Serger and sewing machine (I serged it and then used a sewing machine for top stitching)

Thread

Polyfil if you are adding it to make "cloud" puffy

You Need These ONLY if adding embroidery

Embroidery thread

Embroidery stabilizer

Embroidery Machine and supplies

Computer (If uploading a design to your machine)

Step 2: Pattern

1. Save the pattern (Each individual picture of the pattern) to your computer and print them off.

Step 3: Prep Pattern

1. Tape pages 1 & 2 together, and tape pages A & B together. Cut them out. Page 1 & 2 are the "cloud" pattern piece. Page A & B are part of the snap placement pieces.

2. Cut out and tape the strip, purple, and red fabric pattern pieces. So now you have the "cloud" and all the pattern pieces needed to cut out your colored fabric.

Note: Once you have your "cloud" fabric piece cut out then you will tape the "cloud" pattern piece and the snap placement pattern pieces together so you can have a pattern to cut out the full length inside fabric piece.

3. For the snap placement pattern you will poke holes where the snaps will be added. So you can easily mark inside each hole while it's laying on top of your fabric to mark for snaps.

Step 4: Cut Pieces

1. Place your paper pattern pieces you cut and taped on top of your fabric. Cut out the pieces you need. If you are using PUL you will cut the fabric out with the laminated side facing down.

2. When you are done cutting you should have:

One full size/length white piece for the inside of the diaper cover

Red and purple side pieces

One top white piece

Long rectangles of yellow, orange, blue, and green fabric pieces

Step 5: Add Embroidery

If you are choosing to add embroidery you can do it now. (It isn't required you add it. You can still make a cute Rainbow cover without it.)

1. Use a 4x4 frame. Hoop stabilizer and your top white piece into the frame (I added painters tape around the edges to help keep it tight but this isn't needed).

Remember to keep the design more towards the bottom because your top elastic will be going on the top of this white piece.

2. Load your desired embroidery design and stitch it out.

3. Trim away the extra stabilizer after you are done stitching, and trim off any jump stitches.

Step 6: Sew the Rainbow

1. With right sides together begin to sew the strips of colors together. You have a 1/2 " seam allowance for all sewing.

Blue to Green

Yellow to Green

Orange to Yellow

The middle section is now complete

2. With right sides together sew the sides on to the middle pieces

Purple to Blue

Red to Orange

Step 7: Snaps

1. Lay your full length snap placement pattern on top of the rainbow. Mark with a pen where your snaps will be added.

2. I like to cut extra fabric to add with the snaps to help give the snaps a little more stability. Cut some squares from extra fabric and poke holes through them. I used the tool that came with the KAM snap press to do this. Poke the snaps through the holes and add the snaps according to directions that came with KAM snap press.

3. As you can see you will have what I like to call female and male snaps. I circled where the female snaps will be and the rest will be the male snaps. When you put your waist tab snaps on later you just need to make sure you put the opposite male/female snap on the tabs so they will snap for the waist adjustment.

Step 8: Adding It All Together

1. Pin all the pieces into place with the right sides facing each other. If you are adding white PUL you will have the laminated side facing the right side of the other piece. You can pin all the way around because you will use the space under the "cloud" to turn it right side out. Make sure your rainbow colors are sitting on top of the cloud top as pictured.

2. Place your pattern on top of your fabric and mark with a pen where your elastics will stop and end. Do both legs (sides) and the top.

3. Measure out your elastic pieces. You will have 3 1/2" for the top elastic, and the leg elastics are 5" each, as you can see I measured them and then marked them. So you will have a 13 1/2 " piece of elastic that is marked. I left it all in one segment because it's easier to pull on a longer piece while you are sewing them in.

Step 9: Sew and Add Elastics

1. I like to start sewing from the upper right tab. So you will sew down and around, until you get to your elastic mark.

2. Push your elastic piece up and under your sewing foot and where the right side of elastic is going to go under your needle just a little (just under your left needle if using a serger). Sew a little to keep it tacked in to place.

3. Stretch your elastic until your next mark on the elastic meets with the next mark on your fabric.

4. Continue sewing down, making sure to only be hitting the right side of your elastic a little as you go.

5. Once you reach your elastic mark on the fabric you will stop and cut the elastic piece at the mark.

6. Continue sewing around the edge until you reach the next elastic mark on the fabric and repeat all the steps. (You will do all 3 elastics the same way)

Step 10: Stuff and Sew

If you are adding polyfil this is the step to add it. If you don't want to add poly fil do all these steps and skip stuffing it.

1. Turn your diaper cover right side out through the unsewn middle.

2. Stuff your polyfil inside the "Cloud".

3. Set your sewing machine to a zig zag stitch, increase the stitch width, and decrease the stitch length.

4. Zig Zag stitch the "cloud" shut by overlapping it over the rainbow and stitching it shut. Zig zag the "cloud" and rainbow piece together. You are sewing through both layers when you do this step. The end result will look like an applique satin stitch.

Step 11: Top Stitch

I added top stitching to give it a little more personality and sharpness. It isn't needed for functionality but makes it look nicer.

1. Set your machine back to straight stitch. Increase the stitch length. Sew around the edge of the diaper cover.

2. When you get to your elastics, stitch around them, this will create an elastic casing.

Step 12: Tab Snaps

You can either lay your pattern back over the top and mark it with a pen where it goes or feel with your finger where the snap should be placed. You can do this by overlapping the tab over the waist snaps and feel with your thumb where the snap underneath is. Then mark it or just poke a hole directly through to the under side to add the snap.

Step 13: All Done

You now have a cute diaper cover. It's a onesize cover, and you can adjust the rise snaps and waist snaps as the baby grows. So it should fit from about 10 lbs until the baby is about 30 lbs.