Anyone like to chat about jigsaws?

[thefinaltwist]

I've only very recently started a jigsaw and so far I'm really enjoying it! I'm sick fed up of aimlessly scrolling on my phone every evening until bedtime. I feel like I'm wasting so much time! I'm a reader but a few chapters at a time is my limit before my mind starts to wonder or I find myself skim reading, even when I'm really enjoying the book this happens. Also in the evenings I used to cross stitch and I had started to learn how to crochet ( very basic level ) and all of this has fallen to the side in favour at staring at a screen.

So this year I've decided to make more of an effort to get back into these hobbies and thats when I decided to try jigsaws.

I got my first jigsaw from the charity shop last week for £1.50 ( love a bargain ) its a garden bird scene with a watering can, various flowers and some insects ( 1000 piece ) not sure if that was a bit adventurous 😂I'm around halfway and I have to admit I'm thoroughly enjoying the challenge! It's very satisfying watching it come together slowly.

I've got another charity shop find lined up to do next its a 500 piece old fashioned greengrocers.

So if anyone would like to chat please feel free 🙂

@HackettGreen plywood is fine, but a puzzle board or art board with a top, to 'trap' the pieces in place make it much easier if you need to tilt it to put it in place, or Hoover where it's stored!

@KimberleyClark

on your lap?

good luck with that!!

Just started doing jigsaws, a 500 piece one over Xmas, now on a 1000 piece one which is extremely hard, well hard for me! Got it in a charity shop so hoping all the pieces are there.

GooseberryCinnamonYogurt

I was surprised when I bought one yesterday from the charity shop that it was sellotaped shut and on the front there was a sticky label saying "complete January 2023" The staff must check them* *

The website jigidi.com has loads of lovely puzzles to do online, you can search for themes, sizes etc. With sound on, you get a very satisfying click when a piece fits! It's easier than a real jigsaw because the pieces are always the right way up. Great for occupying your hands when watching TV.

What a brilliant thread!

Completely agree with PP about Colin Thompson - we have several of his puzzles and they are brilliant. I find something new every time I do them. In fact, I love them so much I got a mural of one of them for my study wall!

We have just finished doing a Murder on the Orient Express puzzle which was meant to combine a murder mystery with a jigsaw. We are big mystery/escape room/puzzle fans so were really excited to do it, but it was very disappointing. It had a random solution that wouldn't really have been possible to deduce from the picture. I do like the idea of the escape room one mentioned above, though.

Well you inspired me to go Google, and I found this which looks good and very reasonable too.

www.amazon.co.uk/Ravensburger-Puzzle-Accessory-Suitable-Puzzles/dp/B08S6RBCG2/ref=sr_1_23?keywords=jigsaw+tables+with+folding+legs&qid=1673178954&sr=8-23

I like ones by Michael Storrings. Although the last one I did took me 3 years (it only emerged from under the sofa for a week over Christmas each year!)

Now I'm working on one that's a bit easier, so that when that's done I can do either another Michael Storrings one, or one like the Shakespeare one mentioned earlier - I loved that one so would like to do another similar one.

@mogtheexcellent thank you for that info re getting Galison puzzles on line

georgeswhitstable.com/collections/jigsaw-puzzles-games

Oooh great thread. I'm currently doing the Agatha Christie one from the Laurence king collection

I love a jigsaw. Particularly like the wooden ones made by Wentworth. They are quite expensive though so I often buy and sell them on eBay.

Brother has a puzzle board and I keep hoping that I'll get one as a gift but it hasn't happened yet (might need to just buy one myself!)

I got the Agatha Christie one for Xmas, not started it yet. We are going away in a few weeks and I'm saving it to do in the cottage as the weather will prob be a bit shit! Eeboo and Galison are my faves, I bought the Eeboo Otters one recently and it was so enjoyable to do. I hate ones that are boring landscapes or have lots of sky and sea, I like bright colours, lots of detail and lots of differences between different areas of the puzzle.

Mine are all stacked up on some tall shelves in the kitchen, I have about a dozen at the moment. I gave some to my neighbour during lockdown.

@AlbertCampion
The escape puzzles are here: www.ravensburger.co.uk/en-GB/products/jigsaw-puzzles/experience/escape-puzzle

The one we did was adult difficulty 2 which was fairly straightforward, my 9 year old enjoyed helping me. The way the final solution came together was quite nice.

@KimberleyClark

it does look good!

id still have to put it on a table though. Maybe it's just me (short - not quite 5ft, so not a long lap! & fat (reducing further lap space) and a fidget, I'd have it upended in no time.

😂😂

I have the pieces spread out on mats around the jigsaw, there’s no way I’d be able to do a 1000 piece jigsaw on my lap.

I was once in a charity shop when a woman came in to complain that the 1000 piece puzzle she’d bought had a piece missing. She wanted them to either do all the puzzles before selling them or to count the pieces. The two volunteers behind the till looked a bit bemused while I was trying not to kill myself laughing behind a stand of books.

I currently have a Colin Thompson on the go. Have done one already. Just starting the second.

I do love a good jigsaw puzzle. I used to do 1000 piece ones but with a cat I'd come down in the morning and find chewed up pieces on the floor.

Now I just do them on the app on my tablet. They only go up to 440 but that's ok for me. Flowers are my favourite. I find jigsaws very relaxing and I go into a little world of my own to have a good think!

RafaistheKingofClay most of my jigsaws are charity shop jobs. 90% are complete but any with pieces missing go in the bin when I've finished them - I wouldn't inflict a missing piece on anyone!

I seem to follow a lady called Hilda around our charity shop jigsaw selection - she writes her name on the top right hand corner of the box and the date she's completed them.

I've just finished this....

It was a bit of a beast, not going to lie. Love doing puzzles, it's very much a winter activity in this house. 😁

Does everyone do some of their jigsaw every day? I got loads done last night and felt I made good progress so I haven't done any tonight

We always have a 1000 piece one on the go , current one is a panorama of Disney villains that my son gave me at Christmas .

I’m stuck on one that has loads of white. I want to finish it but it’s also driving me mad! This one - www.waterstones.com/product/adult-jigsaw-puzzle-hokusai-the-great-wave/flame-tree-studio/9781787556034

If I ever finish it I’ll happily post it to one of you lot to have a go.

1000 piece jigsaws whilst listening to a talking book / radio play / etc got me through the two lockdown years, it was the only activity that enabled me to switch off. ( worked throughout as HCP, it was grim , otherwise completely isolated at home)
They have now become my emotional support tool, I’ve always got one on the go, when I feel stress building up I sit down to complete a section.
Over Christmas I started redoing the lockdown puzzles so that I can be sure that they are complete and mark accordingly before passing on to charity shop.
I like Eurographics, especially the Colours of the World Series

My dad had a round, edgeless, double sided puzzle when I was younger. It was blue with flying pigs all over.
he never even opened the box 😆😆

Nope. My current one has been under the sofa on the board for weeks. I usually go through phases of doing them, based on time and how I'm feeling. I do think I'll have time in Jan Feb though.