This is great advice, I just made my 1st pad recently. I hand sewed it & knew I'd struggle with it if I wanted more layers. This makes it possible for me to do it now.
i love this method! i find in addition to flipping the layers atop one another, it helps considerably if you zig zag stitch around the edges of the layers. they lay much flatter!
What a great video! It gives more protection where it’s needed without the extra bulk. I do not wan the pads bulk to advertise on my bottom that I am wearing a pad.
Thanks for the video! This is very helpful, I've been struggling with my machine and bulky flannel cores, so I think this would be something for me to give a try on my next pad!
This is brilliant! I feel like I've been wasting the small pieces of Zorb, but couldn't figure out what to do with them. Also, I am a middle/front bleeder and the stepped core sounds perfect!
hi Claire , a few questions 1. can I build stepped core of zorb then will i need to sandwich in fleece to preventing compression issues? 2. could I make it as an exposed core? 3. are there any tips for gushers which will make it even better performance? Thanks for the inspiration
I've been building my stash for less than a year as a way to reduce my fabric totes and save money while in college. All of the pads I've made have a step core and the whole thing has been an experiment as to what works lol. I just use scraps of Terry, flannel, and cottons. I've also made the mistake of making some too absorbant with too much stitching. I have a fairly heavy flow and a very physical job to make it worse. It's not quite mega-flow status but still could be equivalent to a 3 day postpartum flood gate, and just liners for a day or 2. It's really hard for me to get them clean when there is more than 4 or 5 layers of fabric and PUL. I tried tossing them into a wetbag. After 4 days in the bag, it took 3 oxy soaks, with felsnaptha/peroxide stain treater soaks and 5 wash loads, a few pads still stained or smelled like spoiled milk :/ it was weird! 2 more washes got the smell and all but 2 stains out. I washed with smaller loads and cold water (In previous cycles I used a bucket of oxy water to store them after rinsing each one and changing water 2x a day) Do you have any tips? I love cloth pads but I truly don't want to use only disposables during the next 8 months of school because I don't have time to launder them.
With a heavy flow its a lot of hard work trying to rinse them out. I dry store mine and then put them straight in the washing machine on a rise cycle. While still wet from the rinse stain treat them (i use ecover liquid stain treater with the little brush) and leave them in the machine to sit. If its a few light stains an hour would be enough but you can leave them wet for a few hours with the stain treatments on. I then put in my detergent and do a normal wash with them. I very rarely will have one come out with a shadow stain which i treat while wet and then put in with my next load of washing. Some people heavy stain simply due to the makeup of their menstrual blood so if you still have an issue with smell or staining i would try dry storing, then put them in the machine with a soop of oxy in the presoak section and normal detergent in the other. Add the prewash or equivalent on your machine to the normal cycle with an extra rinse for the end :-) By doing everything in the machine you save so much time!!! Also make sure when you put them in the wet bag you dont zip or tie it shut as this will cause smell in your pads x
Flow Of The Goddess Cloth Pads Thank you so much for the help! I will try that. I use the laundry mat in my building so I just soak in a bucket in my bathtub. I'm still working out the kinks of what works best for me and my schedule. I did check out your wash routine video, thanks again for the tips! :)
I just watched a video prior saying zone is horrible to use , I’m getting so confused now , i love your technique , i need -8 inch pads . That length will do nothing for me ! Do i know where to buy the natural dyes that they use ?
Qual tecido você usa para fazer os absorventes por favor sou do Brasil e gostaria de fazer aqui por favor poderia me ensinar ou traduzir para português (Brasil) eu seria muito grata obrigada
This is great advice, I just made my 1st pad recently. I hand sewed it & knew I'd struggle with it if I wanted more layers. This makes it possible for me to do it now.
i love this method! i find in addition to flipping the layers atop one another, it helps considerably if you zig zag stitch around the edges of the layers. they lay much flatter!
I'm a middle bleeder..and I can't believe I have not thought of this!!! thank you so very much!
Glad it was helpful :-)
What a great video! It gives more protection where it’s needed without the extra bulk. I do not wan the pads bulk to advertise on my bottom that I am wearing a pad.
Thank-you so much for sharing with us Claire. Your videos are always clear and informative. Have a great day and please give Ellen a "Hello" from me.
Thanks for the video! This is very helpful, I've been struggling with my machine and bulky flannel cores, so I think this would be something for me to give a try on my next pad!
Thanks so much for sharing and explaining the how and why!!! 💖
This is brilliant! I feel like I've been wasting the small pieces of Zorb, but couldn't figure out what to do with them. Also, I am a middle/front bleeder and the stepped core sounds perfect!
hi Claire , a few questions 1. can I build stepped core of zorb then will i need to sandwich in fleece to preventing compression issues? 2. could I make it as an exposed core? 3. are there any tips for gushers which will make it even better performance? Thanks for the inspiration
This is how I make them too. I have also made a few for people about to give birth to use when the water brakes.
I've been building my stash for less than a year as a way to reduce my fabric totes and save money while in college. All of the pads I've made have a step core and the whole thing has been an experiment as to what works lol. I just use scraps of Terry, flannel, and cottons. I've also made the mistake of making some too absorbant with too much stitching. I have a fairly heavy flow and a very physical job to make it worse. It's not quite mega-flow status but still could be equivalent to a 3 day postpartum flood gate, and just liners for a day or 2. It's really hard for me to get them clean when there is more than 4 or 5 layers of fabric and PUL. I tried tossing them into a wetbag. After 4 days in the bag, it took 3 oxy soaks, with felsnaptha/peroxide stain treater soaks and 5 wash loads, a few pads still stained or smelled like spoiled milk :/ it was weird! 2 more washes got the smell and all but 2 stains out. I washed with smaller loads and cold water (In previous cycles I used a bucket of oxy water to store them after rinsing each one and changing water 2x a day) Do you have any tips? I love cloth pads but I truly don't want to use only disposables during the next 8 months of school because I don't have time to launder them.
With a heavy flow its a lot of hard work trying to rinse them out. I dry store mine and then put them straight in the washing machine on a rise cycle. While still wet from the rinse stain treat them (i use ecover liquid stain treater with the little brush) and leave them in the machine to sit. If its a few light stains an hour would be enough but you can leave them wet for a few hours with the stain treatments on. I then put in my detergent and do a normal wash with them. I very rarely will have one come out with a shadow stain which i treat while wet and then put in with my next load of washing. Some people heavy stain simply due to the makeup of their menstrual blood so if you still have an issue with smell or staining i would try dry storing, then put them in the machine with a soop of oxy in the presoak section and normal detergent in the other. Add the prewash or equivalent on your machine to the normal cycle with an extra rinse for the end :-) By doing everything in the machine you save so much time!!! Also make sure when you put them in the wet bag you dont zip or tie it shut as this will cause smell in your pads x
Flow Of The Goddess Cloth Pads Thank you so much for the help! I will try that. I use the laundry mat in my building so I just soak in a bucket in my bathtub. I'm still working out the kinks of what works best for me and my schedule. I did check out your wash routine video, thanks again for the tips! :)
Thank you so much Claire!! Very informative!!
I just watched a video prior saying zone is horrible to use , I’m getting so confused now , i love your technique , i need -8 inch pads . That length will do nothing for me ! Do i know where to buy the natural dyes that they use ?
Thankyou for the tutorial , what kind of sewing machine do you use ? I’m have a mega y duty singer
Qual tecido você usa para fazer os absorventes por favor sou do Brasil e gostaria de fazer aqui por favor poderia me ensinar ou traduzir para português (Brasil) eu seria muito grata obrigada
What fabric did you use? Thank you very much
I demonstrated with Zorb 1 but you can do this with any core fabric :-)