Disappointing as it may be, this post will not give you pointers on how to physically assault the taxman by whacking him/her with a heavy machinery. Instead, I’ll try and show you how you can save yourself money, cheat tax gender discrimination and save the planet at the same time. You’re welcome š
(unless you’re a man reading this, in which case this post may be a bit irrelevant for you so…)
According to charity Bloody Good Period, the average lifetime cost of having a period is minimum Ā£4,800, meaning that each month a woman spends minimum Ā£11 on sanitary products. Five percent of this cost is tax. Since, and I’m sure every woman would agree, menstruating is a bloody luxury (pun intended), women sanitary products are classified as such under the British tax regime. You hear me (read me) right ladies. We are being taxed every time we miss a precious opportunity to produce another taxpayer. Not sure how, but I’d love to see the MPs trying to tax men on each egg they failed to fertilise…
Finally, with disposable menstrual products generating more than 200,000 tonnes of waste per annum in UK alone (that’s 143,000 of average size cars or 16,000 double decker buses!) maybe it’s time to start talking about reducing the use of throw away products. I don’t say that there’s no place for them in the world but maybe we should try to switch to reusables as much as possible. This brings me to subject of cloth pads…
If you’ve ever researched the topic, cloth pads cost between Ā£2 to Ā£7 each (!) and they come in all shapes and sizes, have fantastic reviews and last for absolute years if you look after them. But if you own a sewing machine you could have your brand spanking new set for far less. They are a wonderful way to use up your scraps and even to upcycle old stuff that have no chance for second life if donated to charity.
My stash below comprises of some fat quarters that I received with my simply sewing magazine, some old leggings which had a hole in them and a babygrow which also was damaged (hence not suitable for giving to charity), zorb 1 cores and a hidden PUL layer (since on its own I heard reports about them sliding around underwear – no bueno).
I used a combination of purchased and free patterns and found them very different to apparel sewing. To be honest the first lot was a bit meh… which partially was a result of me not reading all the instructions (that thing we all do and then regret afterwards). I can definitely see some progress from the top to the bottom.
If you haven’t tried sewing them yet but would like to give it a go, here are some pointers:
1) check out tutorial by Corky from Versodile (her FB group also has some AMAZING free parents like the 9″ moonrise or 11″ curvy). Following her method was by far the easiest, fastest and produced neatest results.
2) ironing (yes, yes we THEORETICALLY all know this by now) does make a MASSIVE difference
3) walking foot really helps
4) so does ironing your core to flatten it up (especially if you’re using more than one layer)
5) and using glue stick to prevent slipping around of the absorbent later during stitching
6) donāt forget the topstitch line in the middle (before applying your backer) as I did on two of mine š¤¦āāļø This helps the pad to achieve a slightly curved shape, encouraging the core to bend properly
7) go slowly around the edges
8) maybe try metal snaps (I find them less bulky than kam snaps), or if you’d rather miss them out, there’s a H shape option for you too
9) try different lengths and shapes so you can see what you like to sew and wear
10) sign up to the FB groups dedicated to the topic. They are absolutely packed with information about best materials, patterns and techniques (although you really don’t have to buy anything if you have a couple of old bath towels, water repellent fleece and some cotton scraps lying around). They are a fantastic place to discuss what is good to use as core (the absorbent “stuffing” layer), topper (on top, touching your skin) and backer (on the back, preventing leaks).
11) this is the project where clips definitely win over pins, particularly when attaching the waterproof layer (it stops being waterproof once you push a hole through it)
12) be prepared to get sucked into this. There’s something oddly therapeutic about making them.
Thoughts about parents…
You probably don’t need one. The construction is simple enough so you could just trace your favourite disposable but I would recommend buying at least one purely for the great knowledge in instructions.
The easiest to sew for me is probably Abby by Happy Hippos (free).
The second simplest but also the most discreet in the bag is simply curvy from stargazing seamstress as you can fold it into a little parcel.
My favourite shape are two free Versodile (donāt make me choose) although the moonrise wings are totally THE cutest.
And my favourite night one (pending actual testing in action) is Catherine by Dandelion. Itās long, wide and pretty (which isnāt a must but a massive plus when youāre moody and feel sorry for yourself).
Hope this helps.
Till the next time!
Meet my sparkly wiggle dress by patterns for pirates!
Sew your happy 