And the tutorial....

I was so excited to get several requests for this! People actually read my blog and like my ideas! LOL

Cloth Gtube pad tutorial:

1. Trace circles onto flannel or any other absorbent fabric. I prefer flannel because it doesn't stretch much when you sew and it's nice and soft. I use 3 layers in my pads and I use the same cup every time so they are all uniform.

2. Pin the layers together and draw a small circle in the center and a line straight down. I use regular kid's washable markers and it washes out in the first wash.

3. Cut up the line and around the tiny circle.

4. Round off the edges. I think this makes the finished product look nicer.

5. Zig-zag around the edge of the pad. Go slowly and reposition the foot as needed. Because it's so small you really have to stop and start a lot unless you are just a genius with a machine (I am not). After zig-zagging, do a straight stitch around the whole thing for added stability.

6. It should look something like this. Trim any stray fabric away from the edge.

7. Add a snap. If you don't have a press or snap pliers, the metal hammer on snaps work fine. They are a bit of a pain, and take a little practice, but they are cheap.

The hand-sewn version: Do everything through step 4 and then just stitch by hand instead of using a machine. It takes longer, but it actually looks nicer and neater, especially around the small inner hole. I used 2 layers of thread, but only 1 is really needed. Wrap the thread around the edge and then straight stitch all the way around. One pad took me an hour vs 10-15 minutes on a machine, so it's not all that time consuming. Stitch one up while you watch your sitcoms in the evening!