Once you start making nappies, cloth pads seem like the next logical step. They mostly use the same types of fabric as nappies so it's a good way to use up some of your scraps. I know they're only tiny, but I've never been a fan of sewing them. The wings would always turn out uneven, or there would be some kind of fancy quilting needing done that I'd always get off centre and overall, my cloth pads would look like they were sewn by someone who'd never used a sewing machine before. I actually stopped using the ones I had. I planned to make more, but the thought of making a bunch of uglies put me off.
I was doing some research before I opened my shop and I found that cloth pads are a big thing. This is great, because think of how much waste is being saved from landfill! They're actually pretty mainstream these days. I mentioned them to a few people and ended up finding out that two people I know use them!
Since there is a market for them I thought I'd give sewing them another go. I decided if I ended up with something non-ugly then I'd start selling them. There are a lot of patterns out there, some free and some paid for. There are some you can sell from and some you can't. I already own some Fern and Faerie patterns, Kristin's Cloth Pad pattern and two Rocket Bottoms patterns. I'm sure it's not hard to make your own pattern, but pattern drafting terrifies me. None of the patterns I had had the look or features that I wanted. Searching around online I came across the Mishmash pattern by Daisy Pinks, which I thought looked awesome! The exposed core scared me a bit because how on earth do you make sure it's centred properly? I bought it anyway and made some up.
I had no problem with getting the core on straight, or with the quilting line or anything else! The only problem I had was once I was done, they were as stiff as cardboard. After one wash they softened up though. The pattern is very easy to follow. I think it would be fairly easy for a beginner. You trace the pattern pieces onto your fabric and then sew directly on the lines you've drawn, so that stops the dreaded wonky wings! The core matches the main part pretty much perfectly, so there's no misalignment. It was pretty easy to keep the top stitching even around the edges too. My best advice for beginner sewers using this pattern is go slowly so you can keep the stitching on the line perfectly.
I decided to make my pads from flannel. I think this is a great fabric for cloth pads. It's absorbent (and absorbs quickly) and it's soft. The range of flannel prints is a bit boring though. It also tends to pill and look old quite fast, but I want something that is practical and works more than something that's beautiful. I made the wing part from flannel too, with a hidden layer of PUL sandwiched between. People say PUL backed pads can slip around, so hopefully the flannel backing will be more grippy. These ones are made from black flannel and a hand dyed flannel for the topper. I think the black really makes the other colours pop. Since I prewashed the fabric and then washed them after I made them the flannel is starting to look a bit pilly already :(
Other cloth pad makers seem to be using quilters cottons for their pad tops. It definitely comes in much nicer prints and designs than flannel does but it doesn't seem as quick absorbing. I don't like the feel of quilters cotton on my hands when I'm sewing so I don't think I'd like it in my underwear. A lot of people seem to dislike PUL and prefer a fleece backing. I think fleece is only water resistant, not waterproof. It doesn't feel trustworthy enough to me, it's also bulky and I imagine it feels sweaty. Plus it's made from recycled plastic bottles. I've never really loved fleece nappy covers because of their bulk and although I made a lot of pocket nappies with microfleece inners it's not really my first choice of fabric. However, it seems to be what other people like, so with flannel and PUL pads maybe I'm making something no one wants to buy? But I feel like I want to sell something I'm happy with, not something I'd never use for myself. Maybe I'll change my mind if I don't sell anything though!
For the inner layers I used Zorb, which is a fabric I've never worked with before. It looks kind of like a quilt batting, and I believe it's made from a mixture of bamboo, cotton and synthetic fibres. In the regular and long pads I used one layer and in the XL pads I used two layers. I think I'll also use the regular size pattern to make a panyliner, with just a couple of layers of flannel and no PUL.
I haven't been able to get any fancy labels for my stuff yet, so I'm differentiating between the different absorbency by sewing stars on the wings. One star is the light, flannel only, non-waterproof pads (which I haven't made yet), two stars means they have one layer of Zorb (technically they also have two layers of flannel, and the flannel topper), and three stars means they have two layers of Zorb. I have a few garment size labels from nappy sewing and I've used XL for the XL, L for the long size and I think I used M for the regulars. These type of labels aren't too expensive, so I might buy some with R on them for regular.
I'm waiting for some feedback on these before I start selling them since I've never used Zorb before. If you like the look of them and want to sew your own, you can buy the pattern from www.mishmashcustoms.com or from the Mishmash shop on Etsy, or from http://www.clothpadshop.com.au/shop There are lots of interesting looking patterns there if you fancy making some different shaped pads.
I was doing some research before I opened my shop and I found that cloth pads are a big thing. This is great, because think of how much waste is being saved from landfill! They're actually pretty mainstream these days. I mentioned them to a few people and ended up finding out that two people I know use them!
Since there is a market for them I thought I'd give sewing them another go. I decided if I ended up with something non-ugly then I'd start selling them. There are a lot of patterns out there, some free and some paid for. There are some you can sell from and some you can't. I already own some Fern and Faerie patterns, Kristin's Cloth Pad pattern and two Rocket Bottoms patterns. I'm sure it's not hard to make your own pattern, but pattern drafting terrifies me. None of the patterns I had had the look or features that I wanted. Searching around online I came across the Mishmash pattern by Daisy Pinks, which I thought looked awesome! The exposed core scared me a bit because how on earth do you make sure it's centred properly? I bought it anyway and made some up.
I had no problem with getting the core on straight, or with the quilting line or anything else! The only problem I had was once I was done, they were as stiff as cardboard. After one wash they softened up though. The pattern is very easy to follow. I think it would be fairly easy for a beginner. You trace the pattern pieces onto your fabric and then sew directly on the lines you've drawn, so that stops the dreaded wonky wings! The core matches the main part pretty much perfectly, so there's no misalignment. It was pretty easy to keep the top stitching even around the edges too. My best advice for beginner sewers using this pattern is go slowly so you can keep the stitching on the line perfectly.
I decided to make my pads from flannel. I think this is a great fabric for cloth pads. It's absorbent (and absorbs quickly) and it's soft. The range of flannel prints is a bit boring though. It also tends to pill and look old quite fast, but I want something that is practical and works more than something that's beautiful. I made the wing part from flannel too, with a hidden layer of PUL sandwiched between. People say PUL backed pads can slip around, so hopefully the flannel backing will be more grippy. These ones are made from black flannel and a hand dyed flannel for the topper. I think the black really makes the other colours pop. Since I prewashed the fabric and then washed them after I made them the flannel is starting to look a bit pilly already :(
For the inner layers I used Zorb, which is a fabric I've never worked with before. It looks kind of like a quilt batting, and I believe it's made from a mixture of bamboo, cotton and synthetic fibres. In the regular and long pads I used one layer and in the XL pads I used two layers. I think I'll also use the regular size pattern to make a panyliner, with just a couple of layers of flannel and no PUL.
I haven't been able to get any fancy labels for my stuff yet, so I'm differentiating between the different absorbency by sewing stars on the wings. One star is the light, flannel only, non-waterproof pads (which I haven't made yet), two stars means they have one layer of Zorb (technically they also have two layers of flannel, and the flannel topper), and three stars means they have two layers of Zorb. I have a few garment size labels from nappy sewing and I've used XL for the XL, L for the long size and I think I used M for the regulars. These type of labels aren't too expensive, so I might buy some with R on them for regular.
I'm waiting for some feedback on these before I start selling them since I've never used Zorb before. If you like the look of them and want to sew your own, you can buy the pattern from www.mishmashcustoms.com or from the Mishmash shop on Etsy, or from http://www.clothpadshop.com.au/shop There are lots of interesting looking patterns there if you fancy making some different shaped pads.
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