New pads. Loving how thin these are!

New quilters cotton topped pads. So super slim and pretty I am really pleased with how these have turned out! (they do have snaps now btw)

26cm Quilters Cotton topped pads.

A few new pads sewn in a different way.

I have been missing using my stash of quilters cottons, so I decided to sew up a few pads in quilters cottons and bamboo in a turned and top stitch style. With this method of sewing there is no chance of fray at the edges of the pad (which can happen with some quilters cottons when sewn with an overlocker). The wing shape is altered as this is much easier to turn the pad on the length of the wing ~ a good tip if you wish to try sewing your own :)

Kawaii Fairytale (back) 26cm

Front, Bamboo Velour

Larger pads back in stock

The Fantail pad is back in stock. Also new style 33cm Windpro backed pads. See the details and sign up to the newsletter if you wish to be advised when new stock is added via the newsletter link below :)

Newsletter post

Here is one of the new pads. I will try to add more into the store in the coming weeks. This style has great coverage and is very stable due to the fleece back. It has discrete wings which snap with kam snaps at the back.

Liner stocking news flash!

Stocking of the store has been slow recently as it has been birthday season at our house. I have just restocked the bamboo beautiful 3 pack liners and the red hemp Geisha liners. Next job on the to do list is the Little Black Liners!

Bamboo Beautiful Liners ~ 3 pack

Do you have a liner or pad that is always on the top of your stash for wear? This is my go to liner. A simple flannel liner made entirely from bamboo flannel and bamboo fleece. You will notice these feature as my profile pic for the Clothcycle facebook page... as this set is a signature item of Clothcycle pads. Find these at www.clothcycle.com.au and The Cloth Pad Shop

Red Geisha Liners

Have you tried my hemp liners? These are super cute and extremely comfortable. x5 available across the stores.











Our second to youngest daughter started school this year. She has taken to school like a duck to water and made friends very quickly, so this is great. Still one left at home, I was worried that she would feel the draught of her big sister not being there but, no, she has not asked for her at all! I think she is enjoying the time alone with Mum ;)

Hope your 2015 has started off well too! 

Camping and menstruating

My period caught me by semi-surprise while at our most recent camp, so I must admit I was not that well prepared as I only packed one heavy absorbency pad, a few light pads and some liners (and my cup). I was half expecting it to arrive, but not until towards the end of the trip. She decided to come mid way. It was a full moon, so I don't know what I was thinking! On every camping trip there is always something you forget to bring. We have been camping for many years now, so in general are well prepared, but somehow I always forget to bring my own personal items, like deoderant as well this time. Our style of camping is not without some comforts, I would not call it glamping, but not too far removed. We have a powered site, with access to running water and a family bathroom. I managed very well with my cup and the few pads that I had hurriedly stuffed into my undies bag.

This octopus hanger (thank you Ikea) was very handy to hang my reusables. Can you spot who made these? 2 of them are mine and the rest are from 3 other pad makers. I know there are paddicts out there who will have a fair idea :)

If you do not have access to clean running water and washing facilities, such as hiking and camping in bushland, it is still possible and even preferable to use reusables with a few extra supplies than what I had brought with me. Using reusables avoids the problem of where do I put my disposables? You are hiking through bushland with no rubbish bin, so the choice with disposables is to either carry it out, wait for the next available bin or to litter the environment. If you can show me a tampon that goes the distance of a menstrual cup I would probably fall off my perch. Here is what you will need (this is only a guide, you may choose to bring different supplies to what I have suggested):

	Your cup of choice, and maybe a back up cup as well if you accidentally drop it down the long drop! I would recommend not attempting to use your cup for the first time on your hiking trip to state the obvious. It may work out just fine but it is best to be completely comfortable with your cup before going on holiday with it. The cup is designed to be worn for up to 12 hours at a time, but the first couple of days of your period may require a more frequent schedule, dependent on your flow and cup capacity.
	Liners. These are very handy as can protect your clothing from residual loss during removal and insertion or from overflow if you leave your cup in for too long. The pads shown are the Eco Femme liners which have a PUL hidden lining (a wetproof layer which prevents menstrual blood or sweat from leaking through the pad to your clothing).
	A wetbag or toiletries bag to carry your reusable equipment. To this could be added a couple of zip lock bags, one for carrying your cleaning cloth and one for hand towels. You may wish to carry a small amount of liquid soap to wash your hands before handling your cup. Hand sanitizer may also be helpful, but not essential if you already have soap available.

Now you might think that a microfibre cloth is a really strange thing to recommend, but hear me out as there is method to the madness. These cloths are excellent for use with very little water, need no detergents or soaps to perform their cleaning action and also do not leave any lint behind on the surface that you are cleaning. Microfibre cloths work by friction - for a full run down on these very handy cloths you can read more about them here There are many types of microfibre cloths available on the market. I find this one to be a good size and thickness overall. Or alternatively you could use a simple flannel/face washer which has been dampened with water. As clean (drinkable) water is in low supply during hiking trips, these cloths are perfect for wiping clean the outside of your cup in between changes. Slightly damp the cloth and place in your ziplock bag before you set off on your trip and they are ready to go. When your period is finished wash the cloth in very hot water with a mild detergent, then air dry (they dry very fast). There is no real need to clean around the cup if it is not too messy in between emptying. On the other hand you may feel it helps to freshen up your cup if it has residual flow on the outside when you remove it for ease of handling. It is also important to ensure that the little air vents at the top or under the rim of your cup are free from debris.

If you wish to sterilise your cup between changes or at the end of your period alcohol prep swabs can be used for this purpose. They are safe to use on silicone and will effectively sterilise your cup between uses. Again this negates the need for excess water which is necessary to sterilise your cup with boiling. Alcohol prep pads are available for purchase from a pharmacy. If you are like me and are concerned about putting anything on your cup that might harm the cup you are welcome to read this post about the use of isopropyl alcohol in LiveJournal Menstrual Cups Community here (thanks to Melissa of Zanashop.com for sourcing this information from R.Dumas, Silicone Engineer, April 2009). Alcohol evaporates after application and therefore there is no chance of intoxication via menstrual cup usage :)

I hope this post has helped you (and your friends and family members) to boldly go forth into the wilderness with reusables!

Welcoming the New Year

Happy New Year everyone! Here is something brand new at Clothcycle to welcome in the New Year!

The Eco Femme Full Cycle Kit

The Full Cycle kit is a great way to get started using cloth pads. This kit contains a variety of styles and absorbencies to suit different stages of your cycle. The kit contains 7 Eco Femme cloth pads: 2 Pantyliners  2 Day Pads  2 Day Pad Plus  1 Night Pad (all with PUL leakproofing)  1 Travel Pouch to store clean pads or carry soiled ones  Kit care instructions and tips Menstrual cycle tracking chart

An economical way to kick start your pad stash. You can view and purchase this kit here


And here are some new Clothcycle Pads. Only x1 Berry 26cm left in stock - I will make some more after the holidays. Berry Velour PUL is also available in the smaller 20cm style pad.

Available at www.clothcycle.com.au

Available at www.clothcycle.com.au

Available at the Cloth Pad Shop

Available at www.clothcycle.com.au & The Cloth Pad Shop

I will be closing for a short break between the period of 3rd Jan 2015 and 10th Jan 2015

Happy Holidays

I have been concentrating on building a new website these last couple of months. It has been a BIG learning curve getting to grips with how to display all the content I wish to display and to actually get it in the right places! I am not an IT expert, and my tech support have been very aware of this!
Bless their patient souls. The main benefits you will find is that it will be easier to navigate on mobile and a little more streamlined overall. If you do notice any hiccups, please do let me know.

You will have to excuse me while we change in front of you. If you have tried to visit www.clothcycle.com.au in the last couple of days, the site will be displaying an oopsey page. It is all not quite ironed out yet, hopefully it will be displaying the brand spanking new website in the next couple days. In the meantime if you do wish to visit the site it is available via this link:
Clothcycle Site and also I continue to offer stock at the Cloth Pad Shop

As I reflect on the past year I realise that the focus of my work is turning to using materials which I love working with. When I first started making pads I concentrated on providing a wide variety of fabrics based on what customers were requesting. I have realised with time that I can not please all customers as there is such a diverse personal preference in pads. I am naturally choosing fabrics which suit the style of pads that I make. Again it is also about offering pads which I think are made from quality fabrics offering comfort and superior absorbency overall. As a bonus I am finding much pleasure in creating hand dyed velours.

Thanks to Tamsin for encouraging me in this creative venture :) 

There have been some new additions to the site and I have also restocked the bamboo beautiful trio set. Here are some of the new pads.

 

There are only a few Eco Femme Pantyliner 3 packs left in stock in the 2 stores - but don't worry there will be another shipment arriving soon!

The Cloth Pad Shop will be closed in the beginning week of Jan 15. www.clothcycle.com.au will be open during this time with shipment of orders delayed to the week of the 12th Jan 15.

Wishing you a very Merry and Blessed Christmas