Quick and Easy Serged Cloth Pads

Also called mama cloth, mama pads, or reusable menstrual products, cloth pads are simple to make and surprisingly comfortable to use.

This pattern is quite adaptable. For the tutorial, I will be using flannel soaker layers, an Alova suedecloth inner layer, and a PUL bottom layer. Feel free to use any absorbent fabric for the soaker layers, any non absorbent fabric for the inner layer, and fleece or fulled wool for the bottom layer. Don't have a serger? No problem! Either faux serge the edges with an overcast stitch or tight zig-zag/straight stitch combo or use traditional T&T*.

Download the Pattern

Start by printing and cutting out the pattern. When you print, make sure your settings are set to no scaling. Trace around the pattern onto the inner fabric and cut around outside the tracing line. You'll be trimming this off with the serger blade, so don't worry too much about neatness.

Next make the pattern for the soaker layers. To do this, fold one corner of a traditional 8.5 x 11 inch letter size paper so that it is perfectly lined up with the longer side. Mark the bottom line and trim off the excess rectangle.

Use the resulting pattern piece to cut 2 or 3 soaker layers.

Stack the soaker layers wrong sides together. I like to use a few dots of a washable glue stick to keep things from shifting while serging.

Serge the edges of the soaker, trimming off just a fringe. My favorite method is to start and one corner, serge curved corners in the remaining 3 corners and then serge off the end of the starting corner -- leaving 3 curved corners and one 90 degree corner. Tri-fold the soaker and press firmly so there are evident lines. Stitch down the two lines with a sewing machine. This step is not necessary, but does make folding easier.

Center the tri-folded pad on the inner piece. Open the soaker carefully and pin the serged edge to the inner. Use the sewing machine to stitch the pinned edge to the inner.

Use a gluestick or pins to secure the inner layer to the PUL bottom layer (wrong sides together). Just as with the inner, ragged edges are okay because the serger will take care of them.

Serge around the edges with the knife cutting the traced line. Add snaps and the pad is ready for action!

Since the pieces are fairly small, this is a great way to use up scraps! Get creative!

The last three photos picture the longer postpartum or overnight pattern. Use the same construction method as described above.

Download the Postpartum/Overnight Pattern

*For best results when turning and topstitching this pattern, trace the pattern on the wrong side of the inner and also trace the soaker (leaving a margin of fabric outside the line when you cut). Sew the soaker, wrong sides together, on the line, leaving an opening for turning. Turn, press, and topstitch around the edges. Stitch the soaker to the inner before sandwiching the inner and bottom together. When sewing the inner and bottom (again, wrong sides together and stitch on the line), be especially careful to avoid catching the soaker pad in the stitches. Turn, press, topstitch, and add snaps. That wasn't so hard, was it :).

Have fun!

Jaye Jaye is an industrious mom of three with a passion for transforming raw concepts into sharable tutorials and printable patterns. You can find her most recent brainstorms in the MLL forums (username yellowhibiscus) or at her blog dedicated to supporting Create H.O.P.E. Designs.