Everything you need to know about mama cloth

[2under2]

After responding to tons of threads lately i thought i would put everything I know about making your own mama pads in a thread and if you have info please add it on!! Maybe we could get this stickyed?? Anywhoo

Top layers: Feel good top layers are minkee and velour(cotton bamboo or other) both add absorbancy but are mainly their for the comfort factor. other topers are flannel, microfleece, suedecloth, the flat side of a natural fiber fleece or terry

Good Inners: First will be listed the Fiber, then the type, then amount of layers for regular-- if you need heavy usually add an extra layer or two depeneding on the fabric. Example: Bamboo: terry(2) , fleece(2)
Cotton: terry(2), flannel(4-5), fleece(2), double terry-aka old towel-(1-2)
Microfiber: terry (1-2)
Zorb: (1) must be sandwiched by and sewn on all sides by another fabric (toper and bottom fabric is fine, but sew all around it to encase it)
Bamboo: Fleece (2) terry(2) double terry (1)
Hemp: Fleece (2) Terry (2) "plain"-usually feels the same on both sidesflat-(3-4)

Outers: Any of the above, or if you want waterproof/resistent: PUL, fleece, microfleece, wool, nylon. For best non slippage when using pul or nylon, use it as a hidden layer, otherwise it will tend to slip around--ESP AT NIGHT!!! Wool if you are using as a backing must be felted a few times if you want to be able to machine wash these. No they don't need to be lanolized, although you could after washing pat some on the back part

I think that is everything please add your thoughts!!


oh and if you are looking for patterns here are some good free patterns/tutorials to start with, otherwise base it off of an old sposie pad you have!!!

http://shewhorunsintheforest.googlepages.com/home

http://sewgreen.blogspot.com/2007/05/cloth-pads.html

http://www.sleepingbaby.net/jan/Baby/PADS.html

http://www.labyrinth.net.au/~obsidia...Ypads/DIY.html

http://www.geocities.com/brightonwoman/padtutorial.html

http://www.diapersewing.com/clothpads.htm

http://www.tinybirdsorganics.com/org...clothpads.html

Now use some pretty fabrics and add a bit of happiness to that time of the month

POSTPARTUM PADS: well here is how i made some of mine

Bamboo velour top- two layers bamboo fleece with poly fleece or wool backing. Worked great but didn't use them till day 3, but even at night they were good

Then the rest of my stash was mostly cotton terry with either a suedelike cloth or flannel on top, although a few had cotton velour.

for the middle i used 2 layers of double terry that was new or if it was a towel it still needed to be "plushy", if it was thin and not plushy or like a beach towel weight i did 3 layers

i also has some with microfiber in it, the microfiber i had two layers of flannel, on layer microfiber, and one layer of thin terry, or one layer flannel 2 microfiber 1 thin terry

[Emmaleigh3699]

ok so if I ever get AF back, I must make friends with my sewing machine!!!!

[Starr5678]

This definitely should be stickied!

[import_the_best]

AWESOME! Thanks!
I've been considering trying my hand at a few post partum pads but wasn't sure how to go about it and i can't afford to buy them right now. And i have access to a friend's snap press when she's not busy with it, i just have to pay her for the snaps i use!!

And yes, PLEASE can a mod make this a sticky!!!!Thanks!

[BabyKaykes]

LOL because I'm about to sit down at my machine to make some, but was coming to ask another question...

Sticky! Sticky!

[bookishmomma2]

Thanks!!!

[jacquelinemarie82]

Yay for this thread!!!

[remrath]

If you're worried about them taking forever to dry, you can make the pad in two completely separate parts, then just sew them together either at the ends or just the sides. They'll still stay in place and be one pad, but they'll dry a whole lot faster!

IMHO it's a bad idea to just use a layer or PUL then a layer of absorbancy for a liner, it bunches badly. If you use fleece it tends to stay put much better.

Don't use cheap flannel! You'll regret it after a few washes!

2under2, you seem to know quite a bit, could you perhaps repeat your absorbancy levels for Post Pardum? I'd really hate to make a ton of pads and them not be absorbant enough

Thanks!

[yinee71]

Great topic! I'm subbing to it...I just bought a bunch of mama pads and was thinking to myself that I should try to make my own. Now if I could just learn to use a sewing machine.

[mexmarr]

This is great. I just switched to cloth and I am loving it!