Rip-off of Luna Wolf pad patterns and tutorial set

Hi everyone,

It has been brought to my attention that the pattern and tutorial set I created in 2008/9, and still sell through my website today, has been ripped off by an Etsy seller called "Happy Moon Pads".

This is my original pattern and tutorial set:

You can see from the picture that the text on the pattern reads "Copyright Luna Wolf 2008. For personal or non profit use only."

This is the ripped off pattern: [EDIT: this has now been removed and replaced with a different listing - see following update post.]

Screenshots (click to enlarge):

As you can see, it is identical, but the text pertaining to Luna Wolf has been removed. Her price also undercuts mine.  Unbelievably, she is also selling a licence which enables the buyer to sell pads made FROM MY PATTERNS - as long as they give credit to HER SHOP!

PLEASE DO NOT PURCHASE THIS PATTERN/TUTORIAL SET FROM HAPPY MOON PADS! This is MY work, for which I can provide the original hand-drafted patterns if anybody would like to see them.  Please do not give your money to somebody who is making money dishonestly off of somebody else's hard work and creativity.

Etsy has been notified.

Thanks for reading.

Vicky

Karmic Cloth pads on sale at Luna Wolf

A couple of years ago, I started a sister pad company called Karmic Cloth. The idea was to create a line of pads that would be easier to make (but still equally high quality), to supply to local health food shops. Unfortunately the idea never really took off - I think our small market town wasn't quite ready for it - and as a result I have a lot of lovely pads that are just sitting around doing nothing.

Rather than let them languish in a cupboard, I've added them to the Luna Wolf website under their own category, at a deeply disounted price. They are very different to Luna Wolf pads, but don't let that put you off. It's a case of French knickers vs bikini bottoms - different cuts, but they do the same thing. The Karmic Cloth pads I have in my stash get used every month without fail, and I expect I will be pinching a few more of them.

Here's a sneak preview:


I hope you enjoy them!

Taking an indefinite break

Hi folks! I hope you're all doing well.

The title of this post says it all, really. As of today, I will no longer be making Luna Wolf cloth pads. The pads that have just been uploaded will be the last Luna Wolf pads available for sale. (I won't say "EVER!", because that sounds a bit melodramatic, but at least for the forseeable future.)

Why am I winding down Luna Wolf? A few reasons, but first and foremost because I've been doing this for almost five years now, and I'm ready for a change. I've made about 2000 pads during the time Luna Wolf has been open. That's a lot of hours cutting, sewing, photographing and uploading. I've introduced new designs, written a tutorial, sold fabric/menstrual cups/pouches, hosted giveaways, and written articles. I've loved every minute of it, but I'm starting to burn out. After fighting it for a while, I finally came to the conclusion that it's time to close this door and open a new one.

The secondary reason for closing Luna Wolf is that my supplies have gone up in price significantly the last couple of years. Not just fabric, but electricity, sewing machine needles, thread, etc. I can't make a living from pad-making anymore unless I hike my prices way up, and I wouldn't feel right asking £8 for a day pad. (Of course the other option is to become a pad-making superwoman and churn out 30 pads a day, but the reality is that on a good day, I average five pads.)

A few weeks ago I started working as a freelance audio transcriber, and I'm really enjoying the work. The files I transcribe are often very intresting, and I also get to use two of my favourite skills: touch-typing, and correcting people's grammar. ;) I'd like to get certified in medical terminology, and maybe eventually get an administrative position in a hospital.

I have really enjoyed creating and building up Luna Wolf. It's been a fantastic learning experience, and it's allowed me to meet some wonderful people - customers, suppliers, bloggers, and fellow crafters alike. Luna Wolf is also responsible for putting me on a Prince's Trust training course, and meeting one of my very favourite people - my good friend Gemma. I wouldn't change a minute of it.

So how will this work? As stock dwindles, I will condense all the Luna Wolf pads into one category so they're easier to find. I will also continue to offer the Karmic Cloth pads on sale until they're all gone. (I have a bunch of those still to sew up.) The bamboo fleece will stay up until it's all gone; ditto the pouches and cups. I intend to keep the site live so that I can continue selling the patterns/tutorial, and will add some links to other pad sellers that I recommend. I may sell off some of my quilter's cotton and poly fleece - it depends whether or not I can bear to part with it. I certainly do have a lot of it! As always, I will keep you posted.

Thank you to everyone who has supported Luna Wolf over the years. Whether you've spent your hard-earned money on pads, "liked" me on Facebook, been a reliable supplier, or just read my ramblings on this blog, it means more to me than you will ever know.

- Vicky

And now for something completely different! Waterproof pouches, and tube pads

Luna Wolf has an exciting new addition to the shop - waterproof pad pouches!

These beauties are handmade by the lovely Sarah from AngelPadz, and come in large and small sizes. The large size holds approximately 4 medium pads, and is perfect for storing your pads when out and about. It would also be a very attractive make-up or toiletry bag! The small size holds a single liner or medium pad, and fits discreetly into a handbag or pocket. It's great for carrying a spare pad around.

Both sizes are made from quilter's cotton and lined with PUL. The large pouches fasten with zips, and the small ones with snaps. They are available in the new Waterproof Pouches category, and I expect to be ordering many more of them in future!

On a different subject entirely, I have a friend who runs a charity for poorly children. This weekend she received a request for some cloth "tube pads", and is looking for volunteers to sew some. Kids with tubes and buttons often experience leakage, which irritates their skin and makes them sore. They then end up having to wear medical dressings that are uncomfortable, not to mention boring!

Cloth tube pads are very quick and easy to make, and are a great way of using up scraps of fabric. You can find instructions here. I used three layers of flannel for the first few, and one layer of flannel plus one layer of bamboo fleece for the rest.

If you find yourself with an hour to spare, why not whip a few up and send them over to Vikki at Post Pals?

Disposables, Reusables and Guilt

I frequent a number of cloth pad communities (yes, there are communities dedicated to cloth pads!), and every so often, somebody will talk about the guilt they felt (or feel) about using disposable pads.

This makes me sad.

There are lots of reasons to switch to cloth pads - including a desire to minimise your impact on the environment - but guilt should not be one of them. Finding cloth more comfortable than disposables, or being attracted by pretty fabrics are equally legitimate reasons. How you deal with your period should always be your choice, and nobody should feel guilt-tripped into using (or not using) a certain product.

We women already have enough guilt inflicted on us by the unrealistic standards touted by the media. We do not need guilt about our choice of menstrual products added to this load. The right choice of menstrual protection is whatever works best for you, be it disposable or reusable. If anyone tries to tell you otherwise, remind them that your body is nobody's business but yours.

July Giveaway: Winner!

Thanks so much to everyone who entered the giveaway!

Without further ado, the winner is... eatswithfork! Congratulations! Your email address suggests that your name is Kacie, so well done Kacie, I hope you enjoy your Earthy Batik pad and booster.

Commiserations to those of you who missed out - maybe the next giveaway will be your turn to win.

Hope you all have a great weekend!

Summer Giveaway

Yesterday my Facebook page hit 100 "likes", which means it's giveaway time! Thanks so much to everyone who's "liked" the page (I have to put that in quotation marks otherwise it's terrible grammar!) - I love reading your comments and chatting with you.

So, who'd like to win a free pad? The winner of this giveaway will get to choose one of these two pads, and will also receive a handy PUL booster (on the left):

Centre: Book Addict pantiliner, 7.5" long, 2.5" wide when fastened. Backed with light pink microfleece. Suitable for light flow, spotting, or as backup for a menstrual cup or tampon.

Right: Earthy Batik pad, 9" long, 2.6" wide when fastened. Backed with cream fleece. Suitable for medium flow.

To enter, simply comment on this blog post and tell me which pad you would like to win. At 5pm GMT on Thursday 21st July, I will use the random number generator to pick the winning comment. Don't forget to leave an email address so that I can contact you!

Please leave one comment only - multiple entries will be disqualified. As always, international entries are welcome. Good luck, and have fun!