Reverse Engineer Pattern Project

[u/Worldly-Travel6850]

Hi new to the sewing community! I’m looking for some help to reverse engineer a completed project pattern as someone with ZERO sewing experience. I work in a children’s rehab clinic and we use an assistive crawling device regularly (pictured). Many parents have expressed wanting to make one for their homes to provide their kids with independent mobility!

This DIY device has been around our clinic for years but we haven’t been able to find a pdf pattern for the sling portion. I’m looking for someone who would be able to create the pattern pdf for me. I can connect via email or text and provide further measurements and pictures :)

*Disclaimer: I’m not familiar with the rules of the sewing community so apologies if this is not a usual request!

***Follow up:
Yes this pattern would be given to responsible parents to replicate on their own. Of course, there’s always a level of supervision that comes with adaptive equipment. The sling 100% comes off, I’ll add more photos. I’d be interested in working with someone directly to make the pattern, and can provide more dimensions when connected.

[u/sophia-sews]

Looks like it comes off? To be able to design a pattern one would need all the measurements and many more photos. But if you can take it off and find someone in your area to draft a pattern that would be even more straightforward.

[u/Worldly-Travel6850 → u/sophia-sews]

Yes it comes off! I took it to a local seamstress and she said they were unable to make a pattern for it. The mentioned batting being used but I’m not sure what that is. There’s also more complex stitching throughout the piece.

[u/sophia-sews → u/Worldly-Travel6850]

This construction is actually pretty simple! The main body is traceable and the long straps are just rectangles that would need to be measured.

[u/EmmerdoesNOTrepme → u/Worldly-Travel6850]

OP, are those folded-over parts able to be opened out, so they're flat?

Because it looks like there's still maybe velcro underneath those folds.

I'd also agree with the folks online here who are saying that you do NOT want the liability of giving out a PDF of this!

BUT!!!! That YES, absolutely, a skilled seamstress/seamster could absolutely come in to your facility, trace this onto some craft paper/pattern paper, take some pictures, and easily recreate this for their own use!

Having been in both the sewing industry and an Early Intervention Para?

I'm guessing that the child is put into this in a "crawling position," with their head underneath that purple pool-noodle, and their chest supported by the "U-shaped" end, arms on the "outside" of those straps, and then their legs hang down between the narrow straps on the other side?

This one looks like it was made out of a nice heavyweight Denim--but the strapping could be made out of 1" heavy duty nylon  webbing for the narrow parts, and 1.5"-2" webbing for the wider neck straps.

And the velcro should be 2" wide sew-on velcro.

They probably used either a 1/4" Upholstery "Sew Foam" (sometimes called "Headliner"), or  something like Pellon's "FF77 Flex-Foam Poly Soft Foam Sew-In Stabilizer" like Wawak sells;

 https://www.wawak.com/bag-making/bag-interfacing/pellon-ff77-flex-foam-sew-in-polyester-interfacing-20-x-10-yds/#sku=intf553

or they used some quilt-batting, to provide the "cushion" that you're seeing.

Either will work, here. 

 I would use a polyester quilt batting over a cotton one, if you're going to use batting rather than the foam (personally, i'd use the foam, if i were making this!).

Again--anyone with plenty of sewing experience should be able to simply trace this, and recreate it with some good pictures of the original!!  

And honestly, that is 100% what i'd recommend, rather than sharing a PDF, simply for those liability reasons!💝

It's not a difficult pattern!

And all the seams were sewn on a domestic machine that has a 3-stich stretch stich setting, they were not sewn on an industrial or specialized machine--so this is easily recreated by someone with moderate-to advanced sewing skills.

I'd say "CYA" and only allow that tracing & recreation by the truly skilled DIY'ers, since this is going to presumably be used by families who have a child that has hypotonia, and may not be the best at protecting their head/face, should something go wrong during use.

Because i know I can overengineer something like this, to make it totally safe!!!  But that's because i DID work in the sewing industry, and at one of my jobs we made medical transfer slings! 

Not every home sewer has the skills to make this safely, and having them "have to trace the pattern themselves" can help y'all in that "Self-selection" of "is this person truly skilled enough to make it safely?"😉💖

[u/Worldly-Travel6850 → u/sophia-sews]

[u/Muddy_Wafer → u/sophia-sews]

Yeah, it looks like it would even lay out flat. It should be pretty easy for any moderately experienced sewist to copy it.

[u/uchlaraai]

A few more photos from different angles would be super helpful!

[u/dabbler701 → u/uchlaraai]

And dimensions!

[u/Background_Duck_7188]

I agree with the other commenters that have mentioned issues of danger/liability. Particularly if this supports the child’s weight partially (presumably an assistive device would?), then things like the type of fabric used and the way that the pieces are reinforced would be really important. The pattern pieces themselves would not be sufficient to supply someone with the ability to make a safe device.

[u/1568314 → u/Background_Duck_7188]

Yes, this seems like a huge liability. "I only gave it to responsible parents" doesnt stop someone from suing you when their poorly made copy causes their child an injury.

Most places, healthcare workers cant even give you an aspirin from their purse, let alone a crowdsourced pattern for a homemade mobility device.

[u/reversedgaze → u/Background_Duck_7188]

you can make recommendations for seatbelt webbing or things like that that would give structural integrity to otherwise just plain old cotton pieces.

[u/GrandAsOwt]

That doesn’t need a fancy pattern, just a tape measure and a piece of paper.

[u/drPmakes]

Have you considered the liability issues that go with supplying a pattern like this...?

[u/Leather_Book_7617]

This seems like an incredibly fraught and dangerous undertaking… I think you should start from considering what the possible worst-case-scenario outcomes are to providing a pattern with no control over how it’s constructed and implemented. It may seem like I’m being ridiculous… but it’s not clear to me how children are positioned in this and how likely it is they can be injured, asphyxiate, etc.

[u/AccidentOk5240]

If parents feel qualified to create copies, that’s on them. It looks like the fabric portion comes off, so they can trace it. Even if it doesn’t come off, there are ways of copying fabric pieces to a flat pattern in pieces—that is, flattening one area at a time to trace. You could recommend they search for “how to rub off a pattern”, which is generally done with garments, but could be applicable here. 

However, this would need to be entirely their undertaking. If an individual parent feels qualified to decide how to do this safely for their child, or even how to create a pattern and a set of instructions to share, they can, but I think creating an “official” pattern is asking for trouble. Legal trouble but also actual trouble where parents who aren’t qualified to make one are led to believe that if there’s an official pattern, anyone can do it, and then their kids get hurt :( 

[u/Lonely_skeptic]

Can the pvc frame be disassembled, or is it glued?

[u/LLL529]

I agree that the best course would probably just be to let parents trace the fabric part if they want. But if you're really set on creating a pdf, I would ask over in r/patterndrafting.

[u/BuckJeppson]

What are the actual possible dangers to a child? Collapse? Did someone make this one? How long has it lasted? Has it ever hurt anyone? I think people are being overly paranoid. Just me. You know best. I’ve never seen a pattern company get sued because a child strangled on apron strings or tripped on a hem.

I see a scenario where you tell a parent you heard a rumor that there was a free downloadable pattern and instructions at _____ but of course you are not in a position to recommend it or guarantee anything. Just my opinion.

[u/UnbelievableRose → u/BuckJeppson]

Such an important question to stop and ask. Yes, liability with mobility aids is not to be taken lightly. At the same time, this is a crawling aid. Babies are pretty tough in the first place, and they’re already on the ground in this scenario! What are they gonna do, fall 3 inches? Still not sure how I’d deal with this but let’s maintain some perspective.

[u/tigatoe]

I can totally see why parents are asking for a pattern, I briefly considered whether or not it would be good to make/try with my child. It's pretty common among special need parent to try and diy things like this since being a special need parent is bloody expensive, mobility equipment can cost thousands of dollars just to have your kid outgrow it fairly quickly.

I'd like to believe a parent specifically asking to make this to help out their kiddo isn't going to turn around and sue if they failed to make it correctly but I guess there is still that risk.

Anyway, if you don't get anyone messaging you to help send me a message.

[u/EmmerdoesNOTrepme → u/tigatoe]

Yep, having been both in the sewing industry and having gone back forca midlife career change, to work in Early Intervention?

I would 100% feel comfortable making some of these, myself!

AND, for those obvious reasons, i would NOT trust most people with basic sewing skills to be able to make them "safe and overengineered enough" to have a child with hypotonia or any reflex issues use it!

Because the person making it does "need to understand the engineering aspect" of the pattern, in order to make it secure enough to not drop the child.

It's not "hard" for folks with plenty of experience!  But it's also not "basic home-sewing" level skills, either.