Domestic Arts- Mei Tai

There is fine art, and then there are domestic arts.  This is about sewing an apparatus that allows one to wear a heavy baby or toddler on their back.  

Question:  How do you sew the most comfortable Mei Tai carrier for a larger/older baby?

Answer:

Body Shape: Plain ol' Square.  The simplest is the best.

Shoulder straps: 

Pleated wrap conversion straps are best for fanning out and adjusting the weight load.  Angled.  One contributor cuts a 20" wide strap, folds it in half, and pleats a little.  I cut 17" straps, and pleated without folding the material in half first.  This is more comfortable than my 5" padded straps on a previous model.

Waist staps: 

"My baby is 30 lbs and the padded waists do nothing for us really anymore because her weight pushes them out so I don't like wearing non apron style. So I do Unpadded and do a tall body so I can wear apron style."  

"I tried a padded waist, just because. It seems less diggy into my fat though (I'm a little fluffy)"

3rd Layer of Canvas or Twill:  

Use a 3rd layer for safety.  That being said, some of us who were confident that our cotton/linen tablecloths were heavy bottom-weight material, decided to skip the 3rd layer at our own risk because we live in sweltering climates.

The links:  

Best link for the answers given:  http://wrapmeitai.blogspot.com/

Good for Pleat visuals: http://www.sleepingbaby.net/jan/Baby/FrankenKozy.htm

Also a good link for a toddler MT: http://youre-sew-crafty.blogspot.com/2012/12/table-cloth-mei-tai-tcmt.html

http://scanditute.blogspot.com/?m=1

http://www.sleepingbaby.net/jan/Baby/bbo.html

My Blueprint using one 60" x 84" tablecloth.

                                    

 

    

I decided on a 16" x 21"  finished body... I recommend going wider and longer.  The width does not go knee to knee.  Maybe the best thing to do is to measure the kid from knee to knee.  

 Pleated straps pinned to the inside of the body before sewing X boxes (3x).