MAGPIE'S MUMBLINGS

A blog about my interests, which include fabric landscapes and various and assorted other artsy pursuits and sometimes known to contain mumblings of a random nature.

Monday, May 18, 2020

A finish!

Yes, a finish, but not of my making!  Resident Chef has been working on this jigsaw puzzle for nearly two months and there was a resounding cheer when he completed it over the weekend.  It is THE hardest puzzle he has ever done, not because the picture itself is that difficult but the pieces themselves are all different shapes...every....single....one.....of.....them.  He would search and search for a certain-shaped piece and then discover it was actually two, or sometimes even three.  More than once he wanted to scuttle the entire thing but the end result was worth it....


He, being of diabolical mind, is now mailing it to my aunt for her to struggle  have fun with.  I wonder if she'll still be speaking to him afterwards?!!

Today's quote is from Bill Murray..."So, if we lie to the government it's a felony.  But if they lie to us, it's politics"

Stay safe.  Stay well.

22 comments:

  1. Hi Mary Anne,
    The link on quilt finishes is interesting, as I have been looking at katrosblog for some while now, and in fact when I saw her 12-month house quilt, I have to confess that I needed to make it too.
    https://www.pinterest.co.uk/pin/15833036167364743/
    I have bought lots of fabrics just to make this quilt. She is such a talented sewist, and all of her work is just lovely and certainly worthy of a look.
    Well done to OH on his achievement - I bet that puzzle was certainly a test of patience!
    Also the link to the sock yarn - great ideas.
    Thank you Mary Anne, for your links, always worth a good look. :-)
    Val (UK)

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    1. That's a lovely quilt design - looking forward to seeing what you do with it! Glad you enjoy the links Val!

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  2. I found several of the books on the link you recommended to be audio books I can listen to free using Hoopla via my local library! I've come to love listening to audio books while sewing repetitive work. Another great link you led us to was the idea of using fancy stitches for binding. Love it! Now if only my machine won't skip stitches.

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    1. I keep forgetting that the library has free books to listen to but I'm not at all sure I would be very good with them. I suspect I would get enthralled with the story and forget all about what I'm supposed to be working on.

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  3. Puzzle Bravo! Thank you for the laugh.
    If your aunt wants to retaliate, then send him the Springbok, Classical Brass 500 pieces jigsaw puzzle.
    You find the best links! The recyled lamp shade form is fantastic. It will save space on the bulletin board.

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    1. Oh I have no doubt my aunt will retaliate at some point, and he knows it too. Glad you found something in the links that you like.

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  4. Congratulations on the puzzle finish! Sounds challenging but fun.
    Growing up we often had a puzzle going for days, I enjoyed it.
    And your garden sounds exciting, I'm looking forward to progress reports.

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    1. Both Resident Chef and I grew up doing puzzles every winter so it's been fun to get back to them while this enforced stay-at-home period is happening. I added a few pieces but most of it was his effort. Our garden sounds exciting? Hmmm....a few plants on the balcony does not a garden make.....

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  5. Oh that looks challenging for sure...I love jigsaws--but right now my dining table is holding SIL's quilt while
    I am tying it...slow going as I don't want to re-stress my back....~ ~ waving in my recliner with cushions...
    Julierose

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    1. We bought a secondhand card table and Resident Chef used a piece of wood with some trim around the edge to make the work surface bigger for puzzles. That way our dining room table is free for using as it is intended. When not in use we just store it behind the dresser in the bedroom.

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  6. Congratulations Resident Chef...Well Done! Now MA it looks like a wonderful image to Landscape Quilt. My friend sent me a puzzle and I sorted out all the pieces...it went back into the box with nary a piece put together. Maybe later.

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    1. Yes it would make a great landscape quilt wouldn't it. Not by moi though, because I'm not good with making animals or people.

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  7. My dining table is a craft cebter, a computer setup, an art area, a cutting board, a design space, and one end accommodates my place setting!. When handsome Son comes to dinner, back when, it becomes a dining table!

    I'm not a puzzle fan, but I see that people really enjoy them. The harder the better, it seems!

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    1. Our dining room table gets used for a lot of things too but most of my creative 'stuff' pretty much stays in my sewing room/extra bedroom/computer room with the exception of my knitting which lives beside my chair in the living room. As for puzzles, they're a way to put in the time although I don't have the patience to spend much time at them.

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  8. That is a great finish indeed! my DIL is the Queen of Puzzles and can put them together in no time....I'm more the "Jester" of puzzles....takes me a lot longer.....thanks so much for the links....love the decorative stitch binding....some good tips there. I've tried using my decorative machine stitches but they never come out very evenly spaced. I might try the techniques on those tutorials next time

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    1. Yes, there was a resounding cheer when he put the last piece into place on this one. Now he's happily engrossed in another, much easier, one. I wander by and put in the odd piece but for the most part I leave him to it. I'm planning to try the decorative stitch edging on one of my projects too.

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  9. What a beautiful puzzle. Embiggening it, I can see what interesting and different shapes the pieces are cut in. I imagine that was a very satisfying finish. lol That first link was fun. I am intrigued by that "lamp to mirror frame" recycling job. Some people are just so clever.

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    1. Yes, the shapes were definitely interesting! Some of the words being uttered were a tad 'interesting' too...ahem.

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  10. I admire the tenacity it took to finish this puzzle. All that white is quite overwhelming. I looked at the puzzle pieces too and am glad they were all different shapes so you could find the right piece. How terrible to have them all be alike - gasp! When I pick out a puzzle, I've learned to make sure there isn't a lot of snow. My mom and dad gave up on a puzzle years ago. It was called 'hay in a needle stack'. Dad and his neighbor would trade puzzles often (both retired) so he just put the pieces back in the box and put it on the cinder block fence between their yards.
    Kudos to your husband. . .

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    1. Yes, my DH is definitely stubborn! He refused to let this one beat him and it was certainly worth it because it's beautiful. I tried to put one piece in per day which was pretty much all I contributed to it. I like the trading of puzzles over the fence!

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  11. I always enjoy checking out the links you share here. I am sure we would never have persevered to finished the puzzle! But, who knows, Auntie may whisk right through that one! :~)

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    1. Glad you enjoy the links! I have fun searching for them. My aunt will most likely be calling Resident Chef a few choice names methinks.

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Thank you so much for leaving comments! I appreciate you taking the time out of your busy life to talk to me. It's wonderful to know that someone is actually reading my mumblings and even more fun if I can connect with you and visit your blog.