Triple Clicks

Thursday, September 10, 2015

Mamacloth Information

Fair warning, if you're a man and you're reading this-you might want to stop, because this could get uncomfortable very quickly for you. (Don't say I didn't warn you if you keep reading.) 



Mamacloth 




photo credit goes to sewnpads.weebly.com



Also known as cloth feminine pads. 

Now before you start in on 'eewwww', think about it this way. It's a GREAT money saver.  Even buying enough fabric at the store to get your supply going or buying them already made, we're talking $30-$40 for the rest of your life-or, at the very least, years depending on if the cloth wears down or not.  Is there a certain ew factor, yes, I would have to agree with that, but it's not really that bad.  

There are many different styles, from the "stuffed" ones like in the picture, to All In Ones (AIOs), where everything is all together and you just have to put it on. 

(Now for the personal part..) Since I started using cloth-still only part time since I just now found a pattern I love and it works great-which will be a different post-the length in periods has gotten shorter, the cramps are going away... All in all-it's a better week for everybody in the house. Sure I still get the PMS symptoms and mood swings, but even I can tell it's not NEAR as bad. 

Switching to cloth can be pretty simple. If you sew, you can make your own very simply, or you can buy them already made. There are a ton of ladies on Etsy, Luna Pads, Kawaii Babies has some (I know I'm missing a ton of the big ones).  Pretty much any place you can buy cloth diapers, you can buy mama cloth.  

Making your own is simple, too once you find a pattern you like.  I first started off using Hillbilly Housewife's pattern. Simple, but not quite what I wanted. After much searching on Pinterest and Youtube, I found a tutorial to show me what I was doing wrong and am now working on building my cloth pad stash.  Amy Nix does awesome tutorials from how to make your own pattern, to what you could be doing wrong that your pads aren't turning out how you want them to.  There are even some groups on Facebook to get you going (Isn't there a Facebook group for everything?).   If you choose to make your own, you have to decide what you want to make them out of. You need an absorbent layer, I've seen everything from bamboo to flannel. Personally, I like flannel..mostly because I have it in the house just sitting in my huge scrap pile. So that's the core... Then you have the front layer (layer against your skin), you obviously want this to be soft, so something cotton or flannel (again lol) would work just great.. Now comes the back layer. For the 'just in case' scenario, you'll want something that will keep your clothes clean.  You can do PUL (a waterproof fabric), or you can do fleece. While fleece doesn't have the waterproof way that PUL does, it seems to work just fine for me.  

Most people use snaps to hook them together, those fancy plastic snaps you know-they are a lot easier that the metal ones.. I just have to save up for the tool and the snaps.  Right now I'm using a diaper pin...that has to be situated just right or it's very uncomfortable.. You can use velcro, or I've even seen buttons. It's really up to you. If you don't want wings, you don't have to have wings. If you need them longer, wider... There are entirely customizable-as is anything homemade. 

Sew all your layers together, insert the snap if you have them and you're ready to go. 

To wash, some people wash in the sink after putting them straight in a pail of cold water to minimize staining.  I just throw them in with the cloth diapers and wash at the same time.  

Cloth pads do have more than just the monetary value, there are no chemicals against your skin and they are less abrasive-not to mention you don't have to worry about toxic shock syndrome.  If you have issues where you have to wear a panty liner all the time, it really is a money saver.  

Leave any questions you have and I'll see if I can find the answer! I'll follow up with a blog with pictures on how to make your pattern (straight from an Amy Nix video) that was as easy as pie and what part of my final stash looks like. 

~Tabitha

Wednesday, September 2, 2015

Stroller Bag

Beginning of the summer I found out quickly I needed to make a bag for my stroller to hold my things. So I dug through my scraps and found some material that would work (old slacks and jeans) and bought some heavy duty snaps.  

It turned out pretty good, but Not quite even because when I went to cut the straps, I cut from my front piece and I didn't have any more of that material. OOPS. But it works. :) 


I measured the distance on my stroller handle to find out about how wide I needed then added an inch (1/2" seam allowance on each side). 


The first thing I did was measure my phone and make a pocket (the one on the right). 
Then I took some flannel and made pockets for credit or debit cards, I also labeled these with sharpies once I got everything done.. because I can.. and it was fun. 
The elastic straps are for a water bottle to hold it still. 



Then I realized I wanted a pocket for a pen and miscellaneous things, so I added a pocket with a button.  The two straps with snaps are for keys, they are just the right size that I can loop a key chain through then snap them in and keys are easy to find. 



That's it. After all this sewing, I sewed the front on, and the straps, which are situated catty-corner on the top corners. I looped in on the stroller handle and marked where the snaps would go. I put two heavy duty snaps on both straps just to make sure they stay in place. 

I'm loving this bag!  I think I'm going to add a closure of some sort along the top this winter and it looks like I need to resew the elastic.  But everything is easy to get to and the bag doesn't get in the way when getting in the basket for other things. 

Have fun sewing! ~Tabitha