Once again I tried my hand at designing a pattern. My first one went well, but I was safe, started small and relied upon the fabric to do the fancy tricks (this would be the "viaggetto" for those who have read other posts). My second design is still in the works. Somehow I thought that design for an overnighter would go over more smoothly, but I was sadly mistaken. My attempt was/is a disaster, so much so that I hid it in the upper most, darkest corner of my sewing closet until a day when I can attack its shortcomings and smote my enemy to its ruin (too much? Man, I love J. R.R. Tolkien). Anyhoo, I decided that the third time may just be the proverbial charm. I'm not quite sure what others will think of this yet, but here it is: the first design of my baby carrier.Now I have been sewing the very talented Jessica Crocker's SweetPod pattern for the past couple weeks, but I still had this urge to try my hand at pattern drafting, especially what I think may be an improved version of the Ergo (sorry all Ergo lovers, but mine gave me extreme back pain in the front carry position and I felt as if my son was going to fall out no matter the number of adjustments I made).
And here it is! I drafted the pattern on Sunday, cut it out that night and started sewing it here and there on Monday! I will be honest that I checked out blogs on Mei Tai, especially the Scandi MT because I thought they looked the sturdiest. If you would like to check out how to make your own Scandi MT, this tutorial is excellent and this here is another great tutorial with a very nice sleeping hood/headrest thingy. However, I didn't use their measurements and I wanted to do a buckle/ Soft sided carrier (SSC). I drafted the pattern for the body by eye and hoped that it wouldn't be too wide (it looked huge when I was drawing it out but then there are always seam allowances to worry about).
Here are some action shots of the new carrier. I couldn't resist putting it on right away and trying it out. It is soooo comfortable! I mean, probably one of the most supportive and comfortable things I have worn with my bub to date. The secret to the comfort is the wide padded and crossed straps in the front carry position.
My carrier has an ergonomic sleeping hood that tucks away into a snap-able pocket (unlike the Ergo where the hood keeps slipping out). The fact that the baby is right next to your skin makes it so that you can nurse very easily and discreetly. The waist/ hip belt is longer than the SweetPod and has a greater curve, which extends around your hips a little more.
My favorite feature is the crossing straps in the back (for front carry) that slip through each other so that you can simply put the waist belt on, get the baby settled next to you and then slip the connected straps over your head. Buckle and you're off!
Part of the motivation for this is the much anticipated Beco Gemini that is set to be released soon. They have been keeping the complete detailed photos quite mum, but there are photos of the prototype out there. Again they have decided to use Echino prints, this time ones from this past Spring and very easy to get my hands on. What can I say, you have to keep up with competition!
My next little project is going to be a design for an infant insert for this baby that will support an infant/ newborn's tush and head in the early months. Something that will snap and connect to the carrier to keep it from falling out (I'm looking at you again, Ergo).
Stay posted...I feel the creative juices flowing again and hope to be able to start making my drafted patterns into professional pdfs. I'll need some testers (who doesn't love a free pattern).
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