I fancied giving reusable sanitary pads a try but didn't want to spend any money on fabric to make them with. It occurred to me that I could make use of these old cloth nappy boosters that we won't be needing anymore.
I think these are made from bamboo fibres but they may be cotton, either way they're designed to be absorbent and non-irritating to sensitive skin so perfect for sanity towels.
I did consider using them as a booster layer sandwiched between a waterproof backing and cotton top layer both of which could be extended to make the traditional "wings". But I've always found this style of sanitary pads to be uncomfortable. It's obviously just me as all brands use this style nowadays. I'm quite happy with a simple pad so that's what I've made.
Tools and Materials:
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I started by cutting out some very lightweight waterproof fabric ( I think this is leftover from a tent my mum made me and my cousins when we were little) to the same size and shape as the nappy booster. I have a few different sizes and shapes of nappy boosters so i had to cut out a backing for each one individually.
I sewed around the edges leaving an opening of about 3 inches for turning. I've used quite narrow seam allowance in an attempt to reduce the bulk at the edges.
They were fiddly to turn but I go there in the end.
Instead of hand sewing the opening closed I sewed another line of stitching around the edge to hold everything securely in place.
I've seen other pads with multiple lines of stitching extending right to the centre of the sanitary pad. I'm guessing that's to control the flow of the blood perhaps? To me it would put holes in the waterproof layer and risk leaks so I just did the outer most line of stitching.
I'm sure this isn't the "right" way to sew reusable sanitary pads, it's more a case of me winging it and making use of what would otherwise be disposed of. At some point in the future I may give one of the "proper" patterns a try but for now these are perfectly serviceable and completely free so I'm a very happy bunny.
I do find myself wondering how I'm going to wash these. At the moment I give them a rinse and throw them in with Little Pickle's cloth nappies and that's doing fine for now. But what about in another six months when I won't be washing nappies anymore (she says hopefully) ? I'm not so sure about putting them in with a normal wash?
I normally do a mixed load so a wash load could easily contain one of Little Miss' white school shirts. Eeekk!!
Tools and Materials:
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