Sew a mei tai to carry dolls
To sew a mei tai style doll carrier for your little girl is pretty simple :-)
You need a body square with waist straps and shoulder straps.
For the body of the carrier, use two layers of fabric so that it is reversible.
Here are quick off-the-cuff instructions but you would do well to refer to some of the online phototutorials for making real ones as well!
* Decide the size of the body of the carrier - perhaps 25-30cm depending on the size of the child and the doll. It needs to cover from waist of child to a bit under the chin.
* From two contrasting fabrics, cut a square that size PLUS seam allowances of 1.5cm all round. For both fabrics, turn a triangle of the fabric to the wrong side at the top two corners so that the folded edge is about 6 cm long. Baste this folded edge.
* Shoulder straps - select one of your carrier body fabrics and cut two strips 8 cm wide and (guessing) 1 metre long. It has to be long enough to go from the top of the carrier over the child's shoulders, cross at the back and then come round to the front again and tie. I hate turning narrow straps so recommend turning the 1cm seam allowance to the wrong side and ironing down. Fold the strap in half, wrong sides together. Turn in the edges of one end of the strap to give a nice finished end and then sew down one side of the strap, across the turned in end, and back down the other side. Repeat for the other shoulder strap.
* Cut waist strap. Use strap fabric - cut one piece about 1 metre long and 8 cm wide. Turn in both ends of the waist strap and fold and iron as for the shoulder straps. To sew this strap, you must leave a gap in the middle to insert the body of the carrier, so find the middle of the strap and measure out equally on each side of the middle to the size of the body of the carrier plus 2 cm. Sew the waist strap beginning at one end of the gap down to the end, across the end, along the whole length of the closed side, across the other end and back to the open gap.
* Preparing to sew the carrier. Lay one of the body pieces of fabric down on the table, right side up. Place the shoulder straps towards the centre of the fabric with the unfinished ends lying on the "dog eared" shoulder edge of the fabric. Lay the other piece of fabric, right side down on top of the straps+body fabric. Pin the edges from the waist up to the shoulder straps, across the straps and upper edge of the carrier, and back down to the waist. Sew. Keep the waist edge OPEN!
* Turn the carrier out the right way. Now the straps will be sandwiched between the two layers of the carrier and sticking out at an angle.
* Get the waist strap and slip the bottom edge of the carrier into the gap that you left. Pin it the bottom of the carrier into the strap, making sure that you catch both sides of the strap. Hand baste then sew carefully and slowly across the opening. You are sewing through six layers of fabric here so take it easy, guide the fabric through the machine but do not pull.
Voila - a mai tei style doll carrier for your little one!