HOW TO: Sew up some Square Pads! (Part 1)

Several months ago I made me a stack o' pads. Yes, ladies THOSE pads. Gentlemen.. this may not be a post for you.

I made all different shapes and a few sizes. I followed quite a few tutorials.. but none of them pleased me. Most were too fiddly.. or used non-breathing fabric.. or something.

I found the circle pads tended to bunch up..but that may have been my thighs. I'm thick.

The ones shaped like commercial pads took forever to dry.

"Inserts" SUCK. 

My favorite ones to wear ended up being folded squares and for light days.. a sort of winged rectangle. I then tested them for months. I likey. And, there aren't too bad to make either!

This is a very visual post. Easier that way.

You will need:

Roughly 3 yards of a cotton flannel.
About a half yard of some sort of silky fabric. I used a scrap of fake silk.
Pair of athletic socks.
Sewing Machine (this could be a hand sewn project if you are into that.)
A packet of metal snaps.
Thread. One dark, one light.
Sewing needle.
Ruler.

Moon pads in a basket!

I made three BIG pads, three "medium''pads, and three 'light' pads. I also made one super duper mondo overnight pad and two 'stuffers'. For me, this was what I needed. I tend to have one really heavy night, one heavy day.. and then a sharp taper. As these are YOUR pads.. customize!
 
I also made one storage bag. I lined it with silky fabric and used the light thread to put a moon on the bag.

To start: Lay your fabric out and start near the end (you want to be as thrifty with the fabric as you can be. Yes, you will have some left over.. but that's what the bag is made of.)
Each square pad requires 3 thin front rectangles, two tabs, and one flat back piece.
Each light day pad requires two cutouts, see the picture on this!
Each stuffer requires one sock foot and one piece of flannel to wrap. The mondo pad requires two sock legs and flannel to wrap.

Start cutting out the following pieces:
Tabs (all tabs are the same.) 3 by 6 inches
Front bits: Larges are 12x4.5 inches. Smalls are 11x3.5.
Backs: Large is 12x12. Smalls are 11x11.

Large sized bits here. The denim was the pattern piece.

 There is about an inch lee-way on these gals. The finished sizes are 11x11 and 10x10. If you are a smaller lady you may wish to make smaller pads. I'm large framed.. so mine are larger sized!


Start putting them together.
First, fold the tabs in half and then sew the buggers like that. Make little tiny 'pockets'. Flip them rough sides in. Pin like this:

Tabs placed in center of middle piece.

Now, pin each side piece so that it is on top of the tabs, ends neatly matched to ends. Sew up each long side... sewing tabs in place and attaching each side panel at the same time. It's roughly a half inch distance from edge to seam. Like this:

Right is already sewn on/in. Left is pinned and ready to sew.

Remove pins, and trim the seam up fairly close to the thread. Open the front. Lay it onto and pin it to the back. Be sure to flatten the seams towards the center.. it just lays better.

Smush.

Stitch once all around the edges in regular stitch.

About a half inch margin here.

Then switch to the zig-zag (or use a serger.. I lack one) stitch and go back around those seams, just to the outside of the straight seam.


Next you take your pad and stitch up and around the whole thing. You are making 'channels', decoration, and firmly stitching the front to the back at the same time. Cut the edges off close to the zigzag.

 Finally, attach the snaps in such a way to the tabs you can use them.

Finished, it will look like this:

Big one under the smaller sized one. Note the stitch-work.

And, folded. Big one is folded for storage/travel. Little one is folded as if to use!

The stitching did help them keep their shape very well.

And in part two I'll cover the other two styles.

Part Two is HERE!!