Cloth Menstrual Pads - Buying Fabric & Notions
Many of these outlets are aimed at people making their own cloth nappies/diapers and other baby items. The fabrics on offer tend to be lightweight and slim, fast drying and highly absorbent, soft against the skin with the capacity to wick moisture, or waterproof. This makes them ideal for cloth menstrual wear too. While you certainly don't need to use new or specialist fabrics to make an effective pad, they can open up some nice options.
The Bamboo Fabric Store - Many bamboo and natural fibre fabrics available in-stock and to pre-order in bulk, including jersey, single and double terry, different weights of fleece, velour and interlock. Also sells a small range of cloth pads. Australia with international shipping.
Bubba Earth - Australian store with great range of nappy/diaper-making fabrics, including hard to find hemp muslin. International shipping.
Celtic Cloths - US-based supplier of cloth diaper/nappy making fabrics such as PUL, bamboo, hemp, suedecloth and cotton. International shipping.
Diaper Fabric - Cloth Diaper Fabric - Great guide to diaper/nappy fabric types from Amy Sue at Zany Zebra Designs. If you don't know your PUL from your Windpro or your Burley Knit from your Sherpa, or can't decide between Bamboo and Hemp, this resource can help. Many diaper/nappy fabrics are also ideal for making cloth menstrual pads. Includes a couple of links to actual fabric suppliers.
Eco Earth - An unusually wide range of bamboo, cotton, hemp and soy absorbent or wicking fabrics at this UK nappy site. Also waterproof PUL and polyester fleece/microfleece, and some nappy-making notions that might be useful to a pad maker.
Fabric.com - US fabric store with international shipping. A very wide range of fabrics, including a lot of flannel, terry and cotton prints.
GreenBeans - Stocking the Mooncup menstrual cup, and a range of nappy-making fabrics including Fabrite PUL. NZ with international shipping.
Green Fibres - Sellers of 'eco goods and garments', offering a range of organic, natural fibre and fairtrade fabrics including cotton fleece jersey, cotton flannel. UK with International Shipping.
The Hemp Shop - A small but useful selection of knitted and woven hemp fabrics, alongside a range of other hemp eco-products. UK with VAT-deductable international shipping.
Hemp Traders - Hemp Fabric - US outlet for hemp fibres, including a selection of fabrics. Hemp fleece, hemp terry, hemp jersey and hemp muslin may be of particular interest to the cloth-pad maker. International shipping available, from either the US or China.
Kam Snaps - US seller of Kam snap presses, snap pliers and metal and polyresin snaps. They also sell via Ebay and offer video tutorials on setting snaps. International shipping.
Kids in the Garden - US-based cloth diaper shop that also sells fabrics and sewing supplies. PUL prints and plain, hemp, microfleece, suedecloth, bamboo and Woolly Nylon serger thread.
Luna Wolf UK - Pad maker's site that includes a 'DIY' section with bamboo fabric and PUL for sale. International shipping.
LushTush - Fabrics and Notions - UK nappy site offering an ever-changing range of nappy/diaper fabrics.
Minki - Fabrics and Haberdashery - Polar fleece, organic waffle cotton, Minkee, PUL, suedecloth and more. Also offering their own range of cloth pads.
Nappies Covered - Australian store specialising in fabrics, notions and accessories for nappy/diaper makers. Offering a wide choice of materials suitable for cloth pad making including bamboo, microterry, suedecloth, plain and printed PUL, snaps and snap presses. International shipping
NappyDashery - U.K. shop offering a small range of nappy-making fabrics and notions that would also be suitable for cloth pads.
Nappy Makers - UK nappy store with a small range of bamboo fabrics, including hard-to-find bamboo velour. Also microfibre, Kam Snaps sold individually.
NearSea Naturals - At $9.95 there's "Kristin's Cloth Pads" pattern, a sturdy and soft-looking pocket and folding liner system. Also "Personal Things" with several intimate and menstrual items. They also stock a range of unusual, luxury organic prints/colourgrown cotton and other eco fabrics useful for pad making.
PocketBots - UK cloth nappy maker, also offering a hard-to-find range of bright microfleece, PUL and suedecloth fabrics. Also trades via their store on Ebay.
Sewzanne's Fabrics - Online 'children's fabric superstore'. Flannel, PUL, terrycloth, cotton interlock, snaps and other fabrics useful for pad-making. US with international shipping.
TriCountyCloth - Mainly diaper and nursing items, but also stocks a few wingless and winged menstrual/incontinence pads, and a sew-it-yourself kit with precut fabrics. Sells via Ebay, Etsy and tccbaby.com with Hyenacart coming soon (menstrual pad stock varies by store).
VeryBaby - Nappy/diaper sewing supply shop with fabrics and notions that are also suitable for cloth pads. International shipping.
Wazoodle - Canadian store carrying specialist and regular fabrics, threads and notions for cloth nappy/diaper making, many of them also ideal for making cloth menstrual pads. International shipping.
Well Cultivated - Bamboo Fabric - Eco-product shop with a large and varied selection of bamboo fabrics for sale, including fleece and terry. 100% bamboo is available here, plus blends. Many but not all their fabrics have a minimum order of 10m, or a long lead time. It's not hard to find the ones that don't! Samples are available. Shipping within the E.U.