Making Cloth Pads

Making your own Cloth Pads - Types of Pad

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There are several types of pads you can make, and I'll run through some of the pros and cons for each one.

Winged or Not | Type of Pad | Lengths of pad

winged or not....
This is a question to ask yourself. many women assume you need wings... not true, you can have a wingless cloth pad. With all cloth pads, you need to have snug fitting underpants to wear them - even a winged pad can move about if you have your saggy baggy undies on. The one main disadvantage of a wingless pad is that if you just pull down your underpants while hovered over the toilet, you can have an unfortunate pad incident.... But its just a case of remembering you have a pad on, and taking a bit of extra care. They can feel a lot thinner through the crotch because you don't have the extra few layers (and snaps/buttons) a winged pad has. Some women find they need the wings to catch more leakage though. So it really is personal choice... But here is some advantages and disadvantages including sewing.

Wingless pad
Probably the easiest pad to make. May be a rectangle with blunt/square ends, or a rounded rectangle. Some styles have a more hourglass or contoued shape so that the centre (crotch) is narrower than the front and back, which gives more coverage and can be more slip resistant than a plain shape. Sometimes these use fleece, corduroy or other slip-resistant backing to help stop them moving around in your underpants. The snugness of your underpants also helps to keep them put.

Advantages

More comfortable when riding a bike etc. as there are no snaps to add bulk
Can simply put it in your underpants without needing to fasten wings around.
Can be moved forward or back to where you need coverage most, which a winged pad might not allow.
Contoured shape means more coverage at front/back without being too wide in crotch.
Simple to sew - you don't need snaps etc.
Take up less fabric to make than winged shapes

Disadvantages

Can shift about in your underpants more than winged pads
Can slip out into the toilet if you are not careful!
May leak off the sides if you're prone to that, as there are no wings to catch that.
May bunch sideways
Need to wear snug fitting underpants

Winged Pad
These have wings that secure around the crotch of your underpants like a winged disposable pad. May do up with a snap/press stud, velcro, button or other closure. May also have features of the contoured style of pad, having wider back and front than the crotch area, or may be a standard straight shape with wings.

Advantages

Less likely to move around in your underpants as the wings can hold it in place (though they can still slip forward or back)
Wings give extra leak protection for those who leak off the sides of pads.
Wings can help keep the pad from bunching sideways

Disadvantages

Can feel bulky in the crotch due to the extra layers of fabric.
Leakage onto the wings can travel onto clothing.
The wing position will generally find the smallest point of the crotch of your underpants, and that may not be the best position for where you need coverage, and unlike a standard winged pad, you may not be ablw to move it to where you'd like it to be.
Snug fitting underpants recommended
Need to have a way to fasten the wings closed (button, snap, press stud etc.)
Slightly more complex to sew than a wingless pad
The size and shape of the wing can make the pad wide through the crotch or too narrow so that it bunches your underpants up.

Styles of Cloth Pad
Unlike disposable pads, cloth pads come in a variety of styles. This is so that you can choose a system that works best for your needs - as far as absorbency, washability, leak protection and other variables are concerned.

All-in-one (AIO) pad
This is a pad (of any shape) that has the absorbency and waterproofing sewn into a pad that you use as a disposable - just put it in your underpants and you are good to go. No adding anything. One of the most popular and common styles. These can be winged or non-winged, of any shape.

Advantages

Quick and easy to use

Little chance of leakage due to the waterproofing

Simple to sew

The waterproof layer means the flow can be distributed through the pad more, so usually require less layers than a non-waterproofed pad - so can be thinner,less bulky and quicker to dry.

Disadvantages

Can take longer to dry than a pad with removable parts, as all layers are sewn into the pad and are not removable.

No ability to adjust the absorbency

Waterproofed fabrics are generally more expensive than the absorbent materials.

Have to be more careful with care, as chemicals and heat can eventually break down the waterproofing.

Non-Waterproofed All-in-one
This is what I call a pad that has all layers sewn in, but has no waterproofing. So it is used as an All-in-one - just put it in your underpants like you would use a disposable, but its got no waterproofing. Some women find they don't need waterproofing at all, some only need it through part of their cycle, and some women like it in all their pads. These can be winged or non-winged, of any shape. Often light absorbencynon-waterproofed pads are used as pantyliners for between periods, light flow or spotting.

Advantages

Quick and easy to use

Simple and cheaper to sew

Avoiding the use of expensive waterproofing fabrics

Disadvantages

Can take longer to dry than a pad with removable parts as all layers are sewn into the pad and are not removable.

No ability to adjust the absorbency

Does not contain waterproofing

Often these need more layers to achieve the same protection as a waterproofed pad - so where a waterproofed pad might use 2 layers of terry, a non-waterproofed pad may need 4 to prevent bleeding through the pad.

Pocket/Envelope pad
(such as "Rad pads", "Gladrags", "popolini")

This is a pad that has the absorbency as separate removable "inserts" or "boosters", and the pad itself is just an empty shell/pocket/envelope. Generally these will look like a normal AIO pad on top, but have an opening on the back into which the inserts go. To use the pad you place however many inserts you need into the pad for the absorbency you need - some come with multiple inserts so you could use one or two together to give more absorbency, some come with an insert that gets folded up to put inside the pad, so that it can be unfolded to wash easily. Usually contains no waterproofing, but some styles do have waterproofing on the under side of the pocket part or on the inserts.

Advantages

Quicker to dry than an AIO as the inserts are removable

Able to adjust the amount of absorbency so you aren't using a thick pad when you don't need to

The one pad can see you through light flow to heavier flow by putting less or more inserts in.

Can use anything as the inserts (folded hankerchiefs etc.)

You can make the back waterproof for the same leak protection as an AIO

You can have waterproofed inserts or cut a piece of waterproofing to fit inside the pad - which can limit the expense of having a waterproofed pad, as it uses less waterproofing.

You can make the top of the case have layers of absorbency itself and add the inserts for additional absorbency

Disadvantages

Have to assemble the pad prior to use (and dissasemble to wash)

If you need absorbency through the wing, you will need to make winged inserts.

The whole pad needs to be changed when soiled (you can't just replace the inserts).

You may need several inserts per pad to give enough variety in absorbency, so may use more fabric than an AIO pad.

Base + Insert pads

These are generally a winged pad shaped piece that has no absorbency itself, and comes with absorbent inserts that are placed ontop of the base (unlike the pocket pads that have the inserts inside the case). Sometimes these inserts attach on by way of a snap, buton or velcro located at the ends of the base and the inserts, some have the inserts slide under strips of ribbon/rick rack/twill tape on the ends and some have little pocket like ends on the base that the inserts fit into.

Advantages

Quicker to dry than an AIO as the inserts are removable

Can change the inserts while leaving the base on, so you can change more regularly to have a fresh pad on.

Styles that use a ribbon/tape strap usually allow more than one insert to be used at once to boost absorbency.

Disadvantages

Have to assemble the pad prior to use (and dissasemble to wash)

Some styles do not have waterproofing.

If you have a style that has the inserts attach to the base, you need to make sure all inserts have the attachment in the same spot to allow them to work with all of your bases.

May be bulkier when using several inserts together than an AIO pad

Foldable pads

These are pads that include a section that folds out for quicker drying. Some may have waterproofing built in, some may not. The idea is that when folded up you have a pad shaped pad, and the absorbent part will be folded up to give several layers of fabric, that can unfold to allow it to dry quickly. Some styles may also allow for different folding to give the user the option of refolding to expose a clean surface, to make the pad comfortable for longer.

Advantages

Quicker to dry than an AIO as the absorbency is in a thinner fabric that folds up to make it more absorbent.

Can refold the pad to have a clean surface

Disadvantages

Have to assemble/fold up the pad prior to use

Trickier to use than an AIO due to the folding.

Complicated to design and make.

Boostable pads
These are pads that generally have no waterproofing themselves, but come with a booster that may be waterproofed, that is attached/slipped into or somehow added to the pad to increase its absorbency or give waterproofing, in a way other than a pocket pad.

Example of these are:

A winged pad that comes with a wingless booster that snaps onto the underside of the pad
A winged pad that comes with a wingless booster that sits under the pad (held in place by the pad)
A winged pad with bands or other way of holding a booster on the under side of the pad.

Advantages

Quicker to dry than an AIO as the absorbency is in separate parts
Can adjust the absorbency you need with the optional boosters
Can use the pad on lighter days and add the booster for heavy days.
Can waterproof the boosters

Disadvantages

Have to assemble the pad prior to use
waterproofing the boosters rather than the whole pad uses less waterproof fabric.

Lengths of Cloth Pad
You can make your pads any length you want, but as a guide...

Pantyliners - generally around 16-20cm (6-9 inches)
Regular Pad - generally around 24-26cm (9.5-10inches)
Long/Night Pad - generally around 30-35cm (11-12inches)
Very long/Post Partum/Night - generally around 38cm (13-14 inches)

These Cloth Pad making patterns and instructions are copyright Obsidian 2007
And may not be copied or redistributed without permission