Traditional terry square nappies are STILL the most efficient nappies there are. So many people seem to think because they are 'old fashioned' that they will not work as well as Modern Cloth Nappies, and are difficult to put on. Neither of these assumptions is true. Time and time again again I come across people who have problems with MCN's, finally try terry squares and then wish they'd gone with them all along, right from the start.
Cotton ones may be a little bulky, but 100% bamboo loop ones are slim fitting as well. They are not only more efficient than any modern cloth nappy on the market, they also always fit well, wash well, dry quickly, have no elastic to go slack and consequently never leave marks, have no snaps to fail or velcro to fail and/or scratch. There's no stuffing required, and they never need complicated boosting or inserts - if one isn't enough, just fold 2 together as one nappy, or use a terry boost.
They have many other uses as well, so will never be wasted. They are just awesome nappies and very economical. They are really not difficult to fold - it takes no more than a couple of minutes practise to get it, and after that it's quicker and easier than stuffing pockets or messing with inserts or boosters. Here are some videos which show various ways to use them. My own favourite is the kite fold.
You don't have to use nappy pins - use nappy nippas instead or if you want to go totally plastic free we have metal capped nappy pins
No soaking or special laundering is required. In fact terries wash better than any elasticated nappy as well, and you won't need to use any strip and sanitise routines. Cotton terries can even be boil washed, and if you have bamboo terries you can soak both cotton and bamboo terries in a nappy sanitiser such as BioD before your normal wash, if you need an extra good clean
Cover with standard PUL wraps (I recommend Nature Babies wraps if you want PUL) or better still a wool cover. ( See how wool nappy covers work)
Terry squares are really economical too, and even more so because they dry so quickly (even bamboo ones) so you don't need so many. Even terry squares have been modernised, with different terry fabrics, and various size squares, so they never need to be hugely bulky. If you go for 100% bamboo ones, they are REALLY slim fitting as well. Cotton ones are sooooo durable (50/50 bamboo/cotton ones are probably not worth going for, as you don't get the full benefit of either, but have the disadvantages of both - bulk of cotton and extra laundering care required for bamboo)
I guess I'm just saying don't forget they are there. And if you're having problems, just get a couple to try and see how you get on. Or if origami really bothers you, have a look at my mini fold answer, the Little Q-Dos nappy (Quick Dry One Size). Works as well, REALLY fits from a tiny newborn to a large chunky toddlers, and absolute minimal folding.