Here's the true story of how one woman on a budget who was completely new to cloth pads used a sampler set to determine what she needed.

She ordered the standard variety set made with all cotton and hemp materials. This set helped her determine that she liked the secure feeling of a fluffier pad, flannel was her preferred topping, and she liked the pieces that covered more area.

Considering that she would be able to do laundry mid-cycle, she figured out that 2 night time boosters, 3 long contoured boosters, 10 standard absorbent boosters and 10 Liners would be enough to get her through each menstrual period. She sent me the printed flannel to be used for the tops of all her pads, along with some other cotton fabrics and knitted dishcloths for barter.

I imagine that she will use the pads something like this:

long contoured boosters, standard absorbent boosters and liners for her heaviest day, and a night time booster instead of a long contoured booster at night.



Mostly liners and standard absorbent boosters as her flow eases up on the second and third days. By the third day, she will have washed the pads from the first two days and she will be reusing the liners and standard absorbent boosters. (A good trick is to save up a load of towels to wash and throw your pads in with them.)



As her flow continues to lighten up for the remaining day or two, she will use the liners alone.

Her total costs were: $15 for the sampler set; and then 6 dishcloths that she knitted for me, 2 lbs of cotton fabric that she couldn't use herself, and $30 for the remainder.

**Under Construction. More pictures and links coming soon.**

I used to do free consultations for custom sampler sets. A lot of people found it helpful and it got a lot of word-of-mouth traffic. Unfortunately, it got to be too time-consuming so I had to roll the questionnaire into the custom sampler set order form.

Here are most of the questions I ask on the form, along with some standard responses. Take notes on your answers and by the end of it you should have narrowed it down to a sampler set or a few pads that you'd like to try. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me.

Several factors determine which shapes, sizes and materials will work best for you.

What is your flow like - watery, thick, unpredictable? If your flow is very watery, you may want your pads to have a water resistant layer such as synthetic fleece or PUL. If your flow tends to sit on top of the pad rather than absorb quickly, you'll want a textured material on top such as flannel, velour or terry.

How heavy is your flow? Generally, the heavier your flow is, the more pieces you'll need at a time, and the more frequently you'll need to change.

How much time do you prefer between changes? If you don't anticipate being able to get into a restroom for several hours, layering up is a good idea. A water resistant layer can also help to distribute flow within the pad and keep it from leaking through.

How concerned are you about a trim fit? Some women like the security of a soft, fluffy pad, and some prefer not to be able to feel that the pad is there at all.

Cotton terry and hemp terry absorb about the same amount of liquid, but cotton terry is fluffier so it has more surface area to catch and absorb liquids before they run off the top or pass straight through.

Synthetic materials help to cut down on bulk, but can make the pads warmer and less breathable.

The Fabric Comparison Guide gives more info about the materials available at Amy's Rag Bag.

What's your underwear like? Cloth pads don't have the adhesive strip that disposables have, so your underwear has an important part to play in keeping your pads in place. Wear slippery, thin materials and baggy underwear at your own risk. If you do wear them, you'll need bigger pads with flared ends to compensate for any shifting.

The best underwear are made of mostly or all-natural materials and have a snug fit with a little bit of stretch. Briefs and boy-cut underwear usually give the best support, while high-cut bikinis sometimes don't have enough contour and old-fashioned hipsters can be too narrow in the crotch.

What's your size? Contrary to popular belief, taller and larger people do not usually need wider pads than the more petite. Standard crotch width for almost any size underwear is 2 3/4 inches, but there is variation in styles. Size does make a difference in the length of the pad - particularly in the crotch length, which is the narrowest part. The pieces on the right are cut with longer crotches.

Liners and light pads can be worn alone or they can be wrapped around boosters that add absorbency and/or waterproofing.

Liners have one layer of cotton terry or cotton fleece for absorbency and flat cotton backing. Light pads have an extra layer of hemp jersey in the core and more substantial backing.

You can wear the 7 inch liners and pads with the long end extended to the front or the back, depending on where you need it.

The fastener is a tab on the end of one wing that is held in place by a loop on the other wing. This fastening system is very secure, as well as comfortable on a bicycle seat!

Wing Styles

Most people have a definite preference for stretch wings or standard wings.

Stretch wings are funny looking, but very trim and functional. The stretch hemp jersey can extend to hold more layers underneath and is also good for gripping the fabric of your underwear.
7 inch Standard Liners: The wings are two layers of thin cotton fabric.7 inch Stretch Wing Liners: The wings are one layer of organic hemp and cotton with 3% lycra.

Uses

Absorbent boosters go directly under the winged liners. Contoured boosters can also be worn with nothing on top if you prefer to go wingless.

Construction

Absorbent boosters are made of all-natural absorbent materials and have no wings or water resistant layer. They come in three styles - straight, trifold and contoured. Lengths range from 7 to 14 inches long. For core materials, you can choose from cotton terry or organic cotton fleece. The core can be reinforced by an optional layer of hemp jersey. Outer materials can be flat cotton, flannel or corduroy.


8 1/2 inch straight absorbent boosters: 8 1/2 inches x 2 inches. (7 inch length also available.) Three layers of flannel with a cotton terry or organic cotton fleece core.Trifold Boosters: These are usually made with two layers of hemp jersey as the core.

Uses

Water resistant boosters offer an optional thin layer of extra security under winged pieces or absorbent boosters. They can be also be worn alone as thin, wingless liners.

Construction

They come in a range of lengths from 7 inches to 14 inches, with varying widths.

Water resistant options are PUL, synthetic fleece, wool and soft structure tyvek.