Fuzbaby Cloth Diaper Art Gallery: Diaper Art, Naturally!

Late 1999 - 2012

I recall a debate on a popular cloth diaper sewing email list in 2000 or so. Fuzbaby and I were not named, but the husband of one list member took exception to anyone using the phrase "diaper art," which was then part of my well-known motto. This husband called himself an artist. I suspect he didn't like the idea of what he considered a craft stealing the word Art. I suspect, but I don't know since I didn't ask.

When I was an Art major in college, I recall there being a big movement to use bodily fluids in art. I actually left the Fine Arts program in college because it was very much oriented toward wall art. I wanted to create art I could put on the floor and on people. There was no space for that in my program, so I escaped into academics with my three degrees of American Studies. But I realized all along that life is art. Let the babies have art!

If I combine the 1980s bodily fluids trend with John Cage's 4'33" or his concept of Indeterminacy (that is, chance--both made visual, of course), why not extend the idea of art through the whole process to the baby who wears the diaper? There also seems a bit of Andy Warhol and "art is what you can get away with." Why shouldn't I sell art to parents to catch their baby's waste? Why not make those shit catchers outrageously elaborate? I find that very funny. If art is entertainment, that works for me. It is also possible that there is a touch of hysteria in the hormonal world of early parenthood. Still, if it makes you laugh. . . .

Out of the thousands of cloth diapers and wool diaper covers we have sold over a decade, we offer a few as examples.

Before we sold diapers online

I spent far too long working, reworking, and perfecting our diaper pattern. Every version of the diaper and cover was sent to several testers in each size, from 3lb twins to 40lb toddlers. We never charged for any testers, since they were so kind as to offer us valuable constructive criticism. The weight and measurements of these testers is the basis for our current fit and measurement chart.

Late 1999 Before Binding		Early 2000 First Bound
Early 2000 First Organic Cotton		May 2001 Tartan Cover (not before but early)

Early Auctions

Long before I opened a website, I tested diapers for a YEAR. (No kidding.) We then started by offering cloth diapers and cloth diaper covers for sale by auction.

1999 - Early 2001 First Sales & Auctions		2000 - Early 2001 Early Wool Covers
March 2001 Wool Appliqué		June 2001 Beach Towel Diapers
2000 - 2001, 2009 Doll Diapers

Refuz: Reclaim and Recycle

Yes, Refuz sounds like reefer. No, it's not exactly on purpose, but it is amusing. Reduce, reuse, recycle. We reclaimed 100% cotton T-shirts to make colorful cloth diapers. In the beginning, I had ambitions of making all Fuzbaby products from reclaimed materials.

2001 - 2002 Refuz Main Page		June 2001 Air Refuz Diapers
June 2001 Earth Refuz Diapers		June 2001 Fire Refuz Diapers
June 2001 Water Refuz Diapers

Dye Experiments

Splash dance. Tie dye wool. We get to know our materials better by dyeing them and seeing what happens.

2001 - 2002 Colorful Covers

August 2001 Splattered Diapers

Random Eclipse

A group of busy women come together on occasion to produce spectacular cloth diapers, diaper covers, and clothing for auction.

September 2005 Harvest Crescent		December 2005 Four Elements
February 2006 Magpie Greeting Cards		March 2007 Elemental Air
February 2008 Polar Bear Coat		September 2008 Sun & Moon Cover

Donations

During my decade or so in the cloth diaper business, I was also involved in founding two nonprofits: Real Diaper Association (RDA), a charity dedicated to cloth diaper education and advocacy, and Real Diaper Industry Association (RDIA), a trade association for the cloth diaper industry. Very occasionally, in addition to a lot of time, I donated Fuzbaby products to benefit the organizations.

December 2010 Auction Wool Cover

September 2009 Award Wool Cover

Elemental Diapers

A hand-painted and hand-printed organic cotton outer layer opens to reveal wildly colorful diapers in four colorways: Air, Fire, Water, and Earth--with Sky thrown in for good measure

October 2005 + Fitted Diapers

October 2005 + Contour Diapers

Diaper Garden

Diaper Garden sets are organic cotton cloth diapers and wool diaper cover sets in seasonal themes and usually available by auction only.

2002 - 2004 Diaper Garden Main		September 2002 Watermelon
October 2002 Squash		November 2002 Eggplant
December 2002 Holly		January 2003 Ice Star
February 2003 Turnip		March 2003 Speckled Egg
April 2003 Blue Skies		May 2003 May Flowers
June 2003 Strawberries		August 2004 Chili & Lime
February 2004 Winter Frost		April 2004 Kiwi