Vintage Mei Tai Pattern

How cool is this! Vintage mei tai pattern from 1979 from an English children's clothes sewing book (I love old pattern books). Looks almost modern with the wide straps, even though they are attached differently and much shorter than than mei tai's made today. The straps are attached horizontally so this is almost like a podaegi with a waist belt.

Westernized mei tai's didn't become popular until at least the early 2000's and this is one of the earliest patterns I have seen. The Nursing Mothers Association (Australian Breastfeeding Association today) made mei tai's since the 60's but they were more traditionaly styled in construction and use.  If anyone has a pattern earlier than this one I would love to see!

It's an interesting pattern and if I still had a child willing to be worn I'd try it out!  I would add extra reinforcing at the straps though -  an x box  or bartack.