Rainy days are the perfect day for working on a jigsaw puzzle. I had been waiting for just the perfect weather where I could have a fire going in the woodstove and get to it.
There are a few rules and tools that I have for jigsaw puzzles. Once I start a puzzle, I like to leave it in place but I do it on a felt cloth that I can roll up in case I need to but I don’t. You can buy those or make one yourself. Last year I discovered the jigsaw puzzle piece sorter and that eliminated the hokey TV tray I was using on the side of the coffee table. This way I can sort the pieces by color and have them grouped to sort through. If people visit, they just need to deal with the coffee table having the puzzle on it and they are welcome to work on it, but don’t mess up my color organization. It bugs me when you pick up a piece from one color area then puts it back in a different area. Why would someone do something like that?
I have tried different types of jigsaw puzzles over the years. 2,000 pieces are too hard and take too long. My goal is to eventually finish the puzzle. 500 pieces are too easy. 1,000 pieces are just right for me. Thanks to Wikipedia, I learned that jigsaw puzzles come in even more sizes:
Smaller puzzles are often considered to be those of 300, 500, and 750 pieces. More sophisticated, but still common, jigsaw puzzles come in sizes of 1,000, 1,500, 2,000, 3,000, 4,000, 5,000, 6,000, 7,500, 8,000, 9,000, 13,200, 18,000, 24,000, 32,000 and 40,000 pieces.
I also learned that the world’s largest commercially available jigsaw puzzle is produced by Czech company MartinPuzzle and contains 52,110 pieces showing a collage of animals. Who knew?
Here is a bonus Wikipedia fact: The engraver and cartographer John Spilsbury, of London, is believed to have produced the first jigsaw puzzle around 1760, using a marquetry saw.
I pick up the jigsaw puzzles in different places. Amazon and Zulily have a large variety. After I finish it, I pass them on. Believe it or not, there are many closet jigsaw puzzle people out there. I don’t think they share that information freely though. If you haven’t done one for a while, it may just be the perfect adventure on a rainy day, when the electricity goes out or while watching TV. It is also a fun group activity and you will be surprised that as people pass by it, they can’t resist finding just one piece to fit.
Ta da . . .
So, which puzzle is up next?
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