Have the Courage II

My husband has a big family, and technically I have not one, but TWO brothers-in-law that are crazy about Legend of Zelda. The first is the father of baby W, who received his "Have Courage" Magic Blanket and Polo Romper last year. The second is my Colorado-dwelling Brother-in-law C, who just announced he and his fiancé were pregnant this past spring. C is such a fan he even has a triforce tattoo, so after coming through as I did for W's Dad, I certainly could not let C down!

Scoring more Zelda fabric did prove a challenge; there are more choices out there now, but having such an amazing first find last time has left me pretty picky art-wise. Also, this time I was fixated on seeing if I could replicate the sleep-inducing cuddliness of W's "Magic Blanket", which meant "Fluff" aka Double-Sided Minky (DSM). Fluff/DSM is a rarer find than just regular Minky - but it's also a lot easier to work with. 

In the end, I lucked out: the hostess of the original fabric I bought for W had a few extra toddler topper sets available via retail. The original artwork, I could get in traditional Minky, which is 2-way stretch, thinner, and sheds a bit as you sew it. I think the artwork was a little bit "longer and leaner" on the traditional minky - and the fabric is lighter/the fur feels a little more directional. Traditional minky would not have been my first choice for a fabric base, but now having worked with it a bit it does seem like a reasonable summer-weight alternative to the (super-thick) Fluff.

And for "Magic Blanket Material," the hostess had this "Best Friends" topper that could be gotten in "Fluff." Call it what you will - Fluff, Double-Sided Minky, Luxe Minky - but I am definitely a 4-way stretch Minky Addict. It is heavier, thicker, and more expensive than regular Minky, but it's also IMO softer, and WAY easier to work with. And my inner 13-year old was pretty excited about the horse artwork, I gotta admit.

Now, as for getting the fabric here... Shipping from Japan to the US Mid-pandemic was its own adventure: in the end I paid half as much for the shipping as I did for the fabric, and waited almost 2 months before it got to me. But the sense of satisfaction I got from having it in hand was definitely worth the wait.  These blankets were both sewed up in a day, and I still had time to tackle a onesie from the stacked print I'd stashed from my now-a-year-old nephew.

On that score, The Lullabye Line Bodysuit by Peekaboo Patterns remains my go-to shower gift. It's easy, it's efficient for precious fabric, and it consistently turns out nicely. The snaps are from kamsnaps.com, and the evergreen solid bands are from Purpleseamstress.com. 

Here's the whole set together...

...and here's my BIL receiving his gift: Now that's a happy face!