Friday, 11 December 2020

Home for Christmas

I've finished! 
This afternoon I added the final pieces to my Home for Christmas jigsaw, and I have to admit it has proved to be quite the challenge. I've always loved jigsaws. Searching out the corners, completing the straight edges, then fitting all the middle pieces until the puzzle is finally complete. But what I had forgotten is that most of the jigsaws I've done previously have been for children, whereas this one has 1000 pieces.


I bought this puzzle last year with the intention of completing it on the run up to Christmas. I took a relaxed approach. Too relaxed, as it turned out. I didn't start it until halfway through December and I only managed to complete the border, so in my frustration it was hurriedly packed away. This year, determined to finish it, I set it up on the dining table and got started on the border right away. This was quite straightforward as, fortunately, I'd had the foresight to at least keep the border pieces separate from the rest when I'd put it away following my first attempt.

For the last two weeks I've been chipping away at it whenever I've had a spare moment. Sometimes I've managed to place just one or two pieces, whereas others I've completed whole sections. Often, I've found myself lingering over it far longer than I intended - it's surprising how time flies when I'm concentrating. Some pieces seemed almost impossible to fit, to the extent I was convinced some of the puzzle pieces were from a completely different jigsaw, and occasionally I've returned to it to discover I've had a little 'help'.


I think you'll agree, it's a lovely festive scene. Will I get another to complete next Christmas? Maybe, but perhaps one which has just 500 pieces. ☺

J. X

30 comments:

  1. It’s beautiful, Jules.
    I used to do large jigsaw puzzles a long time ago. Then I’d glue them to thick cardboard and hung in the apartment. 😊

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    1. It does seem a shame to break up the pieces after all that hard work. X

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  2. It is a lovely picture, do ypu glue them to save them?

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    1. I've never actually completed a jigsaw this size before. X

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  3. It' truly is a lovely scene, very nostalgic. Clever you.
    xx

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    1. Thank you, Joy. It does feel like quite an achievement. X

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  4. Well done on completing the jigsaw. I’ll have to dig out a few of ours :) B x

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    1. Jigsaws are relaxing and enjoyable to do. They are also addictive. X

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  5. I take my hat off to anyone with the patience to do jigsaws! (I wish I had it. I always like the look of the really complicated ones but in reality give up on the really easy ones).

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    1. I think it was down to sheer determination rather than patience :)

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  6. Yay! Well done completing the puzzle! It is a lovely picture, too. :)

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    1. Thank you, Bless. I'm really pleased with it. X

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  7. That's a beautiful jigsaw, well done on getting it finished in time. My husband likes to do a 1000 piece Wasgij where the jigsaw itself is not the picture on the box. Those would have you tearing your hair out and I'm not allowed to help.

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    1. I think I'd really struggle with one of those. I often had to refer to the picture on the box. X

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  8. What a lovely scene, I went through a phase of doing jigsaws but I hate breaking them up I framed the last one that I made and it was on my wall for several years. I'm sure that I'll get back to it one day. It would be nice to glue and frame this one and bring it out every Christmas, now you've got me thinking.

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    1. It does seem a shame to break them up, but this one will be going back in the box. I'm just not sure when. X

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  9. Well done for finishing the jigsaw in time, it looks lovely. I love jigsaws but haven't done one for ages - I framed the last one as it had been so hard to do I wouldn't want to redo it another time but it was too nice to break up and leave in the box. My mum often had a jigsaw on the go and I would always sneak in a piece or two when she wasn't looking :)

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    1. Jigsaws do take up a lot of time (and space on the table). It's always very tempting to try and fit one or two pieces if you see one lying around. I noticed Lily had tried to 'help' several times. X

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  10. It looks a big of a challenge with all that snow. It's years since I've done a jigsaw but Mick bought me a Wasgij last year, I still haven't even started it though.

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    1. Strangely, it was the brickwork I found more difficult than the snow. I imagine a Wasgij would be very tricky to complete. X

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  11. Its a beautiful jigsaw, we do one each year. We enjoy the process and for many years has become part of the routine of December.

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    1. That was my initial plan when I bought the jigsaw last year. I think I will get one with fewer pieces next time. X

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  12. I love jigsaws and did many during lockdown just keeping one going on the. (very large) dining table in the conservatory. It was spring and summer and early autumn and it was warm and light. Winter and less lockdown has seen me less inclined to wander into the conservatory in the cold and artificial light. So there is a 1000 piece jigsaw ⅓ completed with the unused pieces taking up a lot of the table. In theory they are sorted into their colours etc. I've suddenly realised that I think I've already recently told you something similar on one of your posts. Ah well. It's late. Bed beckons. I'll perhaps look again tomorrow. Night night.

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    1. You will have yours to work on again, at least, when the weather and light improve. I needed to use my side lamp more often than not, as the glare from the main light reflected on the jigsaw pieces. X

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  13. What a lovely puzzle that looks :)

    All the best Jan

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    1. It's a lovely festive image, isn't it. X

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  14. Very nice. My other half is doing a Tintin jigsaw at the moment, he finds it relaxing. X

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    1. Jigsaws are relaxing but I ended up with backache from leaning over it for so long :)

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