I try to choose fabrics that are fun and interesting, as well as feeling nice against your skin. You'll find pads made from standard flannelettes and craft cotton, jersey, velour, velveteen, bamboo and hemp. Even the occasional brocade, sherpa and other fabrics. 
 
  When pads are cut from a printed fabric, each pad will usually contain different areas of the print, so if a particular listing has several pads available in one print, not all will look the same as the one shown. 
 
  "flat"/Craft Cotton - This is your everyday cotton, as you'd find in clothing, table cloths, quilting cottons etc. I generally choose these for specific prints I can't get in a flannelette. I use these as a top layer or as a backing, as some people prefer to have a softer topping than just cotton, and some prefer having the fun prints facing up so they can enjoy them! 
 
  Flannelette (Flannel)- This is a soft feeling 100% /cotton fabric. Over time it looses some of its "fluffiness", but still feels softer than plain cotton. It comes in a range of prints and plain colours, so it is the most commonly used fabric for topping pads because it is colourful and interesting. 
 
  Micro/Polar Fleece - Microfleece is simply a smaller pile version to polar fleece, so it is thinner. I use both types. As fleece is a synthetic fabric, it does not hold liquids itself, so it allows the blood to flow through into the core, while staying fairly dry itself. It may tend to feel a little hot and sweaty after a while on those prone to such sweatiness. Used on top it can make a "stay dry" type effect, drawing moisture down into the core... as a backing on its own it can form a water-resistant layer to help avoid leaks, or teamed with PUL it forms a slip resistant backing on wingless pads. 
 
  Cotton Velveteen - This is a lovely topping for pads. 100% cotton, so it has all the benefits of cotton with no synthetics. I use nice dark rich colours to avoid staining. It feels softer than flannelette but not quite as soft as velour (as the pile of the velveteen is shorter). I find it feels drier than flat fabrics, absorbing the flow quickly. Adds absorbency. It gathers lint easily though, or rather on the dark colours it is more noticeable (just use a lint brush or some wide stickytape to lift it off to pretty them up). 
 
  Velour - This is a really lovely topping for pads. It feels soft and I find it feels a bit drier than flatter fabrics (it absorbs the flow quicker because it's more textured). A great choice for those with a "gushy" flow. Very lush! and adds a bit of extra absorbency with the extra fabric content of the pile. The cotton velour I use is 80% cotton, 20% polyester (I do have a 100% cotton available), and the bamboo velour I use is a 70% bamboo, 28% organic cotton 2% polyester. The poly content in the velours is in the backing to add stability and more wear resistance. 
 
  Hemp - When I say "Hemp" it refers to a 55% hemp 45% cotton blend fabric. I use jersey (a t-shirt weight fabric) for tops of pads, and a terry or fleece as the inside core (and occasionally top/backing on pads). I use both plain or hand dyed. Undyed hemp may be more prone to staining (or you are more likely to notice stains), but some prefer the unbleached/dyed nature of it for environmental or health reasons. I also have hemp fabric where the cotton part is certified organic. Hemp itself is a more eco-friendly fabric than regular cotton, as it takes less water and pesticides to grow a hemp crop. 
 
  Jersey - This is similar to t-shirt fabric, a stretch knit. I use cotton, organic cotton, hemp and bamboo jerseys in some pads. It generally feels softer and is more absorbent than standard "flat" cottons as it is a little thicker. 
 
  Bamboo - No I don't weave together some bamboo sticks! You might be surprised at how soft and lovely bamboo fabrics are! The inner parts of the bamboo plant is made into threads which are knit into a fabric. I use bamboo velour, terry and fleece. Bamboo is very soft and has a sikly shine to it. Its very lush! The bamboo fleece I use is 85% Bamboo 15% Organic Cotton. The bamboo velour is 70% bamboo, 28% organic cotton 2% polyester (in the backing). The bamboo jersey is 100% bamboo. While not as durable or eco-friendly as hemp or organic cotton, it is more absorbent and beautifully soft.
 
Because of the way most bamboo fabrics are created, and the fact that some clothing manufacturers are making misleading claims over the composition and eco-friendliness of the fabrics, new rules have been brought in in the US that require bamboo fabrics to be labelled as "rayon made from bamboo". This is because a "rayon" fabric is one made through a chemical process - rather than simply spinning the fibre into a thread to knit/weave together to form the fabric.. and this is how the bamboo fabrics are made. Personally I think this is more misleading to consumers as you can't be expected to know what "rayon" means (I'd actually always thought it was the same as polyester).... Read my article on this here. Anyway... so all my "bamboo" fabrics are therefore technically "rayon made of bamboo".   Sherpa - This is an 80% cotton 20% poly fabric that I find hard to describe. Its a fleece type fabric, but has a texture almost like lambswool (in that unlike polarfleece that has the pile standing straight up, this is a little more "bally"). Being mostly cotton its quite absorbent while feeling nice and soft. I believe (but I'm not 100% sure) that like poly/cotton blend velours, the poly part is probably only in the backing of the fabric (which is done for durability) and the cotton part is the top part that would touch your skin.  
 
  PUL - This is a Polyurethene Coated fabric (either a cotton or a polyester). Where a very thin film of plastic is bonded to the fabric. This makes the fabric waterproof. It is also considered "breathable" because it will allow enough airflow to help stop a sweaty feeling, like a normal plastic would. When used in cloth pads, the fabric side of the PUL may be used as the pad backing - so the plastic is inside the pad (some pads have the PUL layer inside the pad, with another fabric layer as the backing). PUL is commonly used in cloth nappies and pads, but it can also be used in wetbags, sandwich wraps and other applications where a waterproof fabric is needed.  
 
   
 
 

Return to Main Page