Fast-drying, Folding Menstrual Pad - Photo Guide & Template
About This Pattern
These simple menstrual pads were designed to be donated to good causes, where I may not know what laundry and drying facilities are available to the recipient and can also assume that she has a very limited supply of menstrual protection. The idea with these is that they open out fully for easy, thorough cleansing, and then dry quickly so that they may be re-used as soon as possible.
While there's nothing unique or original about the idea of a folding pad with optional inserts (check out the lovely links on the Patterns page), I have tried over time to arrive at a template that is easy for me to cut and sew (I have limited dexterity in my hands and poor hand/eye coordination!) while maximising flexibility and time-in-use for the unknown wearer. On its own the winged pad with attached liner provides five layers of cloth, with a little added backup from the wings. When made from something reasonably absorbent such as cotton flannel, they are suitable for light to medium flow.
Fabrics
Because my budget for giving isn't always as much as I'd like, I use plenty of project leftovers, 'end of roll sale' and 'pre-loved' fabrics in these, as I do for my own homemade pads. I had secondhand cotton terry bath towels in mind when I started the project, but found that my sewing machine couldn't cope with them even in a single layer! I quite often find lovely high quality flannel/ette bedding in our local charity shops, though. Once all the fabric softeners and detergent perfumes have been washed out, these can make great liners for stacking pads, and sometimes nice outers for all-in-ones or pockets too. If in doubt, I make a pad for myself and try it out. I don't want to give my unknown lady something that I'm not confident will work!
Whenever possible, I include 2 additional folding liners with each winged pad - one identical to the attached flannel liner but with a strip of waterproofing on the back, and the other made from a highly absorbent fabric such as bamboo fleece, hemp fleece or microterry. Testing this combination, I found it just about possible to get through a cycle using only 6 pads, using the waterproofed flannel liners alone as lay-in pads on light days. It was only then that I found the waterproof layer essential, so when I have no PUL in my stash and cannot afford to buy some, I simply give a few extra absorbent cloths instead.
In this photo tutorial, I use and illustrate Kam Snap fastenings set with pliers. I have also tried out a button fastening and Velcro/Applix type tape fasteners, which also work well and have the advantage of being easier for the recipient of the pads to repair or modify, if she ever needs to.
The Templates
Templates are scans of a full sheet of A4 size paper.
Please feel free to distribute, use and adapt the basic template however you wish (but no hotlinking!). No credit is necessary, but a link to the Good Causes page would be appreciated if you're not using it for charity work.
The Photo-Tutorial
Step 1: Cut out your fabric pieces
Step 1: From pre-washed fabrics, cut out your pattern pieces using the templates above. You need 2 of the winged holder shape and one of the rectangular shape to make the basic pad. Here, I'm using cotton flannel. The floral piece is quilter's flannel, flat on the reverse, while the other layers are thick, fluffy and absorbent double-napped flannel.
If you prefer to measure out the rectangular cloth, it is 19cm by 23.5cm.
Additional folding cloths are made in the same way as the first, could be made with any suitably absorbent fabric, and may be waterproofed with a strip of suitable fabric along one third of the cloth.
Step 2: Position and pin your layers
Step 2: Place the two pieces of the winged holder right side to right side, and pin so that they will not slip as you sew. Do not pin too close to the edge - the seam allowance around the template is roughly the width of my presser foot, allowing me to use this as my guide as I sew. A little wider or slimmer won't hurt, so long as your tri-fold cloth still fits when folded.
The second image shows a turned and topstitched pad on top of one of the blanks cut from the template, to give you an idea of the seam allowance and the eventual size of the piece compared to the template.
Step 3: Sew together, but leave a gap
Step 3: Leaving the seam allowance, straight stitch right around the edge of the piece. Begin and end on one of the straight edges, leaving a gap where you will turn the new 'pocket' of fabric right-sides out in a little while. Leave yourself enough room to get two fingers inside.
Step 4: Trim your seams (carefully!)
Step 4: Trim the seams. This means cutting away excess fabric, cutting close to the stitches but not so close that you risk damaging them. This step is so that you don't have too much unnecessary fabric bulking out the edges of the pad, once it's turned right-sides out. There are various techniques for snipping or squaring off the corners for the same reason - I haven't found one that I really like, yet!
Step 5: Turn right-sides out, smoothing piece into shape
Step 5: Turn the 'pocket' of fabric right-sides out, carefully smoothing out all the seams and pushing out the corners. It's worth taking some time over this step, and perhaps pressing with a warm iron once you have the shape right. Where you've left a gap, carefully tuck in the raw edges - they will be sewn shut in the next step. If not pressing with an iron, you may need to pin the hole shut for now. I use this straight-ended template purely because I find this part so tricky on a curve!
Step 6: Topstitch, closing the hole
Step 6: Sew using a straight stitch right around the edge of the piece, quite close to the edge, closing the hole as you go. This topstitching both reinforces the seam inside, and stabilises the piece so that it keeps its shape better.
Step 7: Sew the raw edges of your folding liner cloth
Step 7: Using an overcast stitch such as zig-zag, sew once or twice right around the raw edges of your rectangular folding cloth. It doesn't have to be perfect - it just stops the raw edges fraying too badly with wearing and washing. If using a fabric that stretches a lot (cotton jersey, hemp fleece) or frays and sheds heavily (such as raw-edged cotton or microfiber terry) you may need to take a different approach to this step.
Step 8: Attach folding liner cloth to the wings
Step 8: So, you now have your turned and topstitched winged piece, and your rectangular folding cloth with the edges sealed. Fold the cloth carefully into three and place it dead-centre on the reverse of your wings.
I attach my folding cloths with a line of straight stitches running about 10cm up the centre of the opened-out pad. The cloth could just as well be attached by one end (sew a line across the end of the central third of the folding cloth - this way the pad opens out better for drying) or along one or both of the side folds (though I found this a little more prone to leaking when heavy flow got into the stitches).
However you do it, positioning and pinning the cloth carefully before you sew is key!
Step 9: Apply fasteners on the wings
I like to make a mark with a pen before I attach the fastenings, using the pressure through the top layer to show me a dent on the layer beneath where the fastener will meet.
You did it!
And there's your basic winged pad with folding liner! With a couple of extra folding cloths and an optional strip of waterproofing, it's a fairly solid menstrual solution. Longer cloths can be worn sticking out either end of the holder to deal with flooding; folding cloths or other inserts can be stacked up to deal with heavy flow, or worn by themselves laid into underwear for very light flow or everyday comfort. Flexible, fast-drying, and comfy to wear!