bamboo fleece
absorbent fabric
The facts about bamboo fleece and how it's used in cloth pads.
texture
2 distinct sides
The knit side is smooth
The brushed side is fuzzy
After washing, the fabric edge will curl toward the smooth side. Sew close to the edge to prevent curling inside of your pad.
weight
denoted by GSM
Common weights to buy for cloth pads are 300, 400, and 500gsm.
I personally enjoy working with the 400gsm weight.
preparation
before you sew
my most recent yard of bamboo fleece had a shrinkage rate of about 14%. This is normal.
To avoid a finished pad wrinkling after sewing, make sure to fully "prep" the fabric.
Wash and dry on hot 3 times, before sewing.
performance
pros
Bamboo fleece makes very thin pads.
Highly absorbent, and stays soft/floppy longterm.
layers
simple system
1 layer = liner/moderate absorbency
2 layers = heavy
3 layers = very heavy/postpartum
It might be tricky to sew 3 layers, so it might be good to use a graded (stepped) core approach.
source
where to buy
I love buying pad materials from Nature's Fabrics.
They have excellent customer service and stock consistent fabric styles.
uses
not just for cores
Lots of people love having the top layer, next to skin, sewn with 300-400gsm bamboo fleece.
It's adds a lot of absorbency over the entire pad, instead of just in the core section.
Whether you have the smooth or fuzzy side facing out, is up to preference.
dye
customize your topper
This fabric dyes beautifully with fiber reactive dyes!
You can ice dye or liquid dye bamboo fleece.
core
cutting layouts
The infographics below are meant to help you visualize roughly how many core layers you could get out of 1 yard of this fabric.
