Sani Pad; A Feminine Sanitary Towel for Manchester

Cloth pads are becoming ever so popular and since coming across them only a month ago, I have decided to do my share and make some for the ladies who are unable to afford to buy the disposable pads.

I will be running a free workshop dedicated to making these for food banks to distribute within the UK.  As this is my design, albeit similar to almost every version out there, I am allowing anyone to use and distribute. Please don't re sell the pattern and please don't make pads and sell them on. I have also digitised an in the hoop embroidery project which is freely available.

I hand drafted a pattern from using designs from a variety of paper versions, cloth versions that I have bought, and I've researched online, asking online communities of thousands about their preferences in fabric, shape and reasons why they prefer cloth.

Note: I have made others using free online templates, and am linking a Charity website (below) who make them as part of a kit they make to send to women and girls in Africa.  The design is brilliant and easy to follow, do read the instructions, there are some great hits of information in there with tips and advice for fabric. The project demands are different from the UK. We do have access to water and laundering facilities, there are so many homeless charities who offer free showering facilities and I'm hoping that ladies will be able to keep theirs clean using the support available.

I'm using fabric that you can easily source and is reasonable for your pocket.  It will cost you the amount of two months worth of pads, but these pads should last a long time.  Some ladies claim to own the same set for over 5 years. The first set has been suggested to last 3. 

So 'economical, less stress on our environment and far more comfortable to wear' seem to be the main reasons to change from disposable to cloth.

Tools and Material

Cotton flannel, towelling and a waterproof base.
(recycled - old pj's towel with high absorbancies such as Ikea's 500g/m and mattress protector)

You can use differ kinds of fastening, sew on snaps, 

Velcro (although they may damage your pants, pad and irritate)

I'm fortunate enough to own a set of Prym Vario pliers and snaps

Save yourself the trouble and don't bother buying cheap sets from the other side of the planet, or supermarket deals. I've been there... The pegs are weak and thin and do not hold for long.

Use a polyester thread.

Walking foot for your machine is ideal, but not essential.

Rotary Cutter, ruler and mat will give you a neater finish

(Or dressmakers scissors) 

Using the templates, cut out

(pattern can be found, here.)

You need 

1 base, diamond shape, waterproof fabric, piece A

2 layers of cotton towelling piece B

1 layer of fleece piece B

2 wings, piece C

Lot make it easier to understand what you're doing, lay out the pieces for the top like this next image.

You have the wings on either side of the 3 pieces of padding.

Lay one of the long side of the wings flush against the side of the 3 centre pieces.

I do prefer my sewing pegs to pins. No bumps!

When you sew many layers like this, particularly with stretch fabrics, try to use a walking foot.  Your machine's feed dogs feed the bottom layer of fabric so without the walking foot which has it's own feed dog, the top layer doesn't get fed through the machine at the same rate as the bottom layer so you do end up with skewed sewing. 

Ok, one side done, now the second wing...

Open flat out and press.

Don't worry about the image showing the corners of the centre pieces not curved, we can neaten them later.

Lay the waterproof on top, face down.

(the eagle eyed you will spot that I'm using flannel in this image.  I didnt have any waterproof to hand as I made this pad a week ago)

Peg and then pin. Baste (sew a long running stitch) to hold everything together.  Allow for a 2" turning hole on one of the wings, along the straight edge.

Really, you should baste.  Do as I say not as I do...

Sewn together, with the turning hole, you can see the corners standing out.  Trim them all now.

Flip everything through the turning hole...

Pin the hole closed.

Top stitch the outer edges, about 2mm in from the edge and also sew down the edges of the liners.  You can 'stitch in the ditch' here which means to sew inside the seam line so on the good side the stitching is invisible.

When you've topstitched right the way round, you just need to add your fastening. 

I've punched a hole with an eyelet tool that came with my Brother sewing machine. You could use an awl, or a skewer. 

Please!! Take care!! I've heard some awful stories of the consequences to people using the wrong tools.

Apply the fastening and that's it, done.

Tuck in the ends of the liner under the fastening and you'll get a discreetly folded pad.

A suggested pack size is 8 pads, and of varying lengths.  I think it's up to you to decide, and this patern is so simple, you can adapt it to your needs.  Let me know if you do, I'd love to share your ideas and jazzy designs xx

Abi x