Mei-Tei - tutorial

I have been looking for new ways to carry my baby - I am currently using the baby björn but I find it a bit tough on my back and can't wear it for too long, I thought the best would be to carry my baby like a backpack and found out that the Mei-Tei could do that. There is a person in Denmark that does super nice Mei-Teis but are a bit expensive (Kleinsmekker)...and I was afraid to buy once more a new item that would not serve my needs like soooo many other things I've bought for the baby in the past... So I decided it would be safer to start with a "homemade version" made out of old curtains with the help of this great tutorial from Jan Andrea. I've taken some pictures along the way to illustrate the process:

I started by cutting two pieces for the body - a big square (mine measured 50 cm X 50 cm) I added a little half ellipse on top to give it that curved look

8 long stripes (1m60 X 13 cm)

Cut 2 "padding" fleece (30cm X 13cm), that I attached to the two shoulder straps (the padding stripe is folded in two on the picture)

I sew the stripes two by two right sides together, left an opening to turn them inside out and machine stitch 0,5 cm from the border

Then I placed the stripes on the body of the Mei-Tei (right side facing up)

and covered it with the "lining" of the Mei-Tei body, right side facing down. Secured with pins, sew 1 cm from the border of the fabric and left a little opening to turn the whole thing inside out. Topstitch to secure the straps.

And voilà