Sewing Bee Fabrics Tutorial
Make Your Own Cloth Sanitary Protection
Now I'm in my third trimester of pregnancy, that worry of waters breaking so it looks like I've wet myself in public is starting to set in. I don't fancy the irritation of disposable sanitary towels against my skin for weeks before and weeks after so it's time to make some just in case cloth sanitary protection, or muff fluff as it is also known as! Depending on how you feel about it, these work equally well as menstrual sanitary towels, or incontinence pads. Either way, this is how I've made my panty liners / just in case pads!
What you will need:
A base layer for the main body - I used cotton
An absorbent layer - I used a thin but absorbent old towel (if you are wanting to make this even more absorbent then you can always add an extra towel. However I recommend trying with one as its surprisingly absorbent compared to disposables and you don't want to make it unnecessarily bulky).
A layer to go next to your skin - I used fleece as it is good at wicking moisture away from the body so keeps you feeling fresher and dryer longer, and it doesn't tend to stain
A waterproof layer - I used PUL as its thin, flexible, washable and breathable.
Something to fasten it with - I used KAM snaps
How To Make It:
First you need to draft your pattern. I like the shape of disposables so wanted to replicate that. I also wanted my cloth pads to be able to fold up on themselves to keep them cleaner of they were knocking around a handbag and less obvious as to what it was. This is how I made my pattern:
I made it completely symmetrical and cut it out with the paper into 4 so it would be nice and easy to line up my layers.
I used 24cm length, by 10cm width for the pad with 6 1/2cm wings (4cm wide). I would recommend that you make your pattern out of thin paper then with a pair of knickers around your thighs, see if you feel it is right for your knicker coverage. Easier to adjust it now before you start cutting!
Fold the pattern so the wings can tuck behind, then put another fold in at 2 1/2cm into the wings.
Now, cut:
2 x cotton with your whole pattern
1 x towel and fleece in just the pad shape (no wings)
1 x PUL in the pad plus 2 1/2cm wings (this reduces how much PUL you need as opposed to using the whole pattern, but is enough to catch any moisture wicking out from the centre.
Arrange the top half first with the fleece on top, 1 layer of cotton then the towel underneath (all facing up). Pin in place then sew 3 lines down the centre. I like used a feather stitch but a zigzag would do.
Now zigzag down the edge of the fleece where it joins the wings.
Put your PUL underneath (doesn't really matter which way up but I prefer shiny side up) then your last piece of cotton face down at the bottom.
Now go ahead and zigzag or use an overlock stitch right around the edge. (I use an over edge foot on my sewing machine, but you can just sew a zigzag stitch very close to the edge and trim off any excess if you prefer). I then like to sew a straight stitch just along the line where the fleece meets the wing. This makes it much easier to fold the wings back on themselves. Choose a wide stitch width then you have less tiny holes in the edge of your waterproof PUL layer.
I like to sew a running stitch with a long stitch length (to make less tiny holes) down the wing edges over the zigzag that holds the fleece to make it easier to fold the wings around the pants.
Lastly, I pop in KAM snaps to fasten. I put 2 settings on them - 1 loose so it holds the pad under the wings to be able to fold it up discretely to put in a handbag etc, then another to firmly hold around the knickers. (Find out more on KAM snaps HERE>>> )
Then it's finished!
If you want to make a night time sanitary towel version (my waters went with a whoosh in bed last time!) then this is how I have expanded my dimensions. I kept the pad exactly the same on the centre horizontal fold, but lengthened the front half to 14cm then curled the edge out an extra centimetre on each side. The back half I extended further so it was 17cm and curved out to widen to 15cm at the bottom. The wings stayed exactly the same as did the KAM snaps.
Everything else I did exactly the same - there was just a much bigger pad to cut out!
And finished, your mega pad should look like this:
We hope you enjoy our tutorials and love hearing what you think so please leave us a comment.
Happy Sewing!
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Would having cotton not make the pad rather hard? I have been using disposables, but have developed an allergy to the glue, and so have decided to try and make my own. I did one, out of brushed cotton, but it seems to stretch. How do I stop the stretch?
I would recommend just using light to quilting weight non-stretch cotton and it should work well. Normally iron-on interfacing could be used to limit stretch if you really wanted to use a stretch fabric in a situation where you want to limit that stretch, but I don’t know how the interfacing might affect absorbency and comfort (as it stiffens the fabric a little to a lot depending on the weight of the interfacing used) so I wouldn’t use it myself for this kind of project. Hope that helps!
Thank you for this tutorial. I have been looking for panty liners for slight incontenience and also sanitary pads for heavier periods for a friend. I have purchased some pul, some organic cotton for the back of the pads and some fleece and microfibre, terry towelling for the middle, for the front of the pads. Looking forward to trying your pattern and techniques. Thank you.
Thank you! I hope you are happy with how they turned out. I’ve been using mine for around 8 years now and it feels so much more uncomfy to go back even to a day of disposables. I hope your friend will find them better too!
I would like to know if you sell polyurethane and flannels for sewing pads.if so I would like to visit your shop .I will appreciate for your feed back since I need the fabrics too. Am known as Lynda Kagai from Vihiga county.Thanks.
We don’t have any flannel in at the moment but you can find our PUL Fabric here
I loved the suggestions. Am all for less waste and have used pant liners more than once which sounds gross. But this is how. I saved and boiled in an old saucepan, antibacterial wipes. And they boil and boil showing how long to disintegrate. I cut up strips of an old cotton pillow case. I laid wipe on pant liner, then cotton strip and wrapped under pants and pinned with safety pin. Nothing goes through to pant liner and process can be repeated next day with clean nics. Sounds crazy and would only do this while home alone shielding but was pleased with my efforts to cut down waste. Also use boiled anti bac wipes to remove makeup and as tissues. Always love the old fashioned smell of boiling. Reminds me of my babies’ nappy days. I then pour the boiling water down sink to keep pipes clean. Don’t be horrified by this. It has worked very well and I am a very fussy person .
I also cut yog pots into strips and fill empty water bottle with them. Cuts down on amount in recycling bin.
I’m glad you found it helpful. I’m so grateful fabrics and detergents have come such a long way. Cloth nappying my babies sounds like it was so much easier for me than it was for you!
I just use a polar fleece – the kind that doesn’t bobble up after a couple of washes. Why not try roughly tacking a piece of flannel on top of your normal pad and see what you think before sewing up a big batch? Some people prefer natural fabrics like cotton even if they don’t wick moisture the same and just change more frequently.
I wouldn’t recommend velcro as it has a habit of lifting up at the edges which can easily scratch between legs or ruin tights. If poppers bother you, I think any other closure will likely annoy you just as much, so maybe you would be better off sewing pads into pants instead. I know a few companies are making that style so you could always have a look at how they do it for inspiration!
Thank you so much Cara!
I am anxious to make this. It will be a great liner for older ladies.
I am so glad I came across this post! I have been meaning to swap to reusable pads for a while now, but they’re so expensive to buy – now I can make my own! I’ve recently pulled out a lot of old knickers from my underwear drawer but kept them, thinking I could reuse them for something, but wasn’t sure what – but now I know! They’re size 20, and high waisted, so there should be plenty of material for the cotton part! Hahahaha! Proper recycling too!
Sounds like a great use for them! Hope they come out well x
Wow haven’t cloth pads come a long way!!!
I need these for light incontinence. I have made a couple using cotton next to me, then 3 layers of thin cotton fleece (cut from a baby blanket), then PUL, then cotton again touching pants. Does this sound about right as I’d rather use materials that I have in my house than buy. It seems to work reasonably well except that it has a tendency to work itself towards the back. Is there any way to avoid this? Also do I need to use the PUL into the wings or just for the core? Thanks
I use PUL for the core and 1/2 inch/ 1cm approx into the wing. After that, they are under your pants and any seeping would go on outer clothes just as much as pants so if that is a concern then just increase the absorptive layer so that can’t happen. I don’t think there is a right or wrong way to do it. I would say try it, and if that is enough absorption, then fab. If not, just cut up an old towel/flannel to add instead of the inner cotton. As for the pad sliding back – you probably just need to make your snaps a bit tighter so it holds your pants more snuggly.
could i use bamboo as the skin layer, then absorbent lint for the inner layers. and can the cover off an umbrella be used instead of pul.
Yours thankfully chris
That would depend on what bamboo-based fabric you were planning on using. A lot of the bamboo fabrics I have come across are absorbent. not wicking. These would keep the moisture against the skin which over the week could cause irritation.
As for the umbrella cover, I wouldn’t recommend it – it might not be waterproof – many are water resistant but allow moisture to pass through on pressure – ie sitting on it. It is also not designed for repeated washing or with hygene in mind. Whereas PUL was invented for hosital use for its ability to be used and washed repeatedly and be both durable and hygenic on close contact with bodily fluids. The umbrella fabric could be used to make a wet bag to put used pads in instead though. Linda 🙂
Could I use size 1 bamboo nappy boosters instead of the towel to make these?
Yep absolutely! I would cut off the old seams on the booster so you have a flat piece of fabric to start with and don’t end up with lumpy seams 🙂
This is such an awesome idea. Good for the planet, too 🙂 Regarding washing these…you could store used ones in a mesh lingerie bag (like this one https://www.amazon.com/Household-Essentials-121-Lingerie-Laundry/dp/B0001E83AE/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1525385038&sr=8-3&keywords=lingerie+washing+bag) and then throw the whole thing into the washing machine.
hi im looking for a pad to use that will cover incontinence too. have you got a good pattern please or what material to use, would love to make my own, it costs me an absolute fortune.
Hi, these work well for incontinence too. Just vary your fabrics according to what the needs are – for example, if it is more of a stress incontinence problem (such as slight leak with cough/sneeze) then a cotton top may feel more comfortable and breathable as opposed to synthetic fabrics like fleece. You may only want a couple of layers of cotton instead of towelling in the centre to make it thinner. However, if it is heavier leaking, the constantly damp cotton may cause irritation so fleece may be preferable to wick away moisture from the skin. I would say it is defintely worth experimenting to see what suits you best. I’ve been using these for cloth sanitary for a few years now and would never choose to go back to disposable.
been making my own post curse keep knickers dry all day thin pads for years having learnt about this idea on etsy originally. This way I stay fresh.and also avoid getting sore with skin really raw until doctor said you need some HRT cream, but until then thinking i must have some sort of infection and nothing being found in desperation found that waterproofing myself with some petroleum jelly served well as it allowed the skin to heal and stop the dampness making it red raw. Not ideal but it served the purpose.
Have used popper 3 size like on baby grows and got mine off ebay. Did try velco but bit mistake, if it twisted round a bit then i knew about it with sharp edges. My first few pads I still have 2 in regular use but poppers wearing now, so they will be about 10 years old which is not bad going seeing they will be used once weekly each. Never tell anyone i make my own in case they think i am tight fisted, but they must have saved me £s over the years. I need to make some more and as they do not get too damp i just use about 3 layers of a sort of fleece material too i had in my stash and i make them flat with rows of stitching. Hope that may of use to others who just need light protection. A cosmetic purse is useful to stash the used ones until you get home. I can remember the time when there was little choice and Dr Whites were the only ones available and they were about a mile long with loops to hook on a belt. They were issued in the army if needed and we used them to put around our dress hats as the rim cut in and gave us headaches, dreaded in case it fell out and also for buffing the floors to a shine on the heavy hand bumper we called it. When Libera i think it was spelt came in it was lovely to have a short pad and no loops.
Sorry I’m having a dense one on me. I want my wings to be the same colour as the main bit of my pad and I’ve got myself in a muddle. Can you just confirm the order for me.
Base layer (touching pants)
PUL (waterproof layer)
Towel (absorbent layer)
Layer touching skin.
Can 100% cotton be used for the layer touching skin? I don’t like fleece.
Not daft at all. You have it perfectly. You can absolutely use cotton on top. The only downsides are that it holds the moisture against your skin more and has a tendency to stain so don’t pick a pattern where it would be obvious! I would also make your PUL go further down the length of the wings if you aren’t using fleece. Hope that helps and makes more sense now! If you have any more questions, just ask. Linda x
I am visiting a school in Nigeria where many of the girls do not go to school when they have their periods and so I am very interested in taking this pattern with me so that the girls are able to go to school the whole month
I would love to do a tutorial because I am not much good at sewing
I hope you have a lovely trip. I’m more than happy for you to share the tutorial and pattern with the girls there.
I have a latex allergy, so have a rotten time with disposable pads! I just need to get the supples now! Thank you!
My pleasure. I really wouldn’t go back. They are so much nicer! I hope you find the same too 🙂
For years I’ve had the worst luck finding the right fit. Every time I find a brand I like, they either change how they make them or increase price. I had never thought to make my own. I only wish I’d found this post sooner. Thanks!
I think they would be excellent for little girls just coming into that time of their lives. Something to always carry and it not be obvious.
Thank you. It could even be a good way to start that conversation too… while your picking out the fabrics together!
Interesting idea. I remember my mother(b. 1920) telling me about using cloth that was washed and used over and over. Personally I ceased to need this protection 40years ago. What goes around comes around. My question is: are these washable? And how? By hand or?
I just have a wet bag for them that can be turned inside out to empty the contents straight into the washing machine and throw that in with them. I run them through a cold rinse first in the washing machine then I bung in some other bits to make up a full load and put it all on a standard 40 degree wash. I tend to put about 10 drops of tea tree oil in with the detergent as it is a natural antibacterial, and I don’t leave them for more than a couple of days before washing.
Very ingenious!
Why not, if you’re running out of pads and money, look around and use left over materials. Must have been a similar idea that pioneer women used
I love this. Never thought of it. Thank you. I am in continent and the pads irritate me so bad I have to use hydrocortisone a lot.
You should definitely give it a try. I’ve heard of a lot of ladies who have had irritation from the chemicals in disposable pads who have found relief by using washables. You could experiment with fabrics to find the best combination for you – for example I’ve heard some ladies use cotton flannel on top instead of fleece to avoid man made fibres. I’d love to hear how you get on.