Friday 8 February 2013

Birds, puzzles and boxes

There must be some kind of lazy bug in the air as I don't get my sewing  going. I have ideas and plans, but all I can manage is some knitting in the evenings. The birdwatching nearly two weeks ago went fine, we saw 8 species but no big numbers of individual birds. The Common Redpoll was this year's most frequently seen bird. We have one male who has already started to change colour and grow red feathers on his chest.
 
 


The Great Spotted Woodpecker has also found our bird restaurant and enjoys the peanuts and the fat, but he also looks for insects in the trees.

 
With no inspiration for sewing, I have been playing with jigsaw puzzles from my childhood. Actually they are from my mother's childhood and youth in the 1920's and 30's, all hand sawn. We used to assemble them on rainy days in the summer. The original boxes are folded of heavy brown paper, many of them crushed and torn, some mended with masking tape.
 
 
I wanted to try if I can make new boxes to replace the worst ones. I took one box apart, made some measurements and started. Some of you know that my dear daughter is a master bookbinder; I think I have inherited some of her skills because this went really well for a beginner.
 
 
One width from the paper roll gave me three squares so I needed cut another strip to make a lid for the odd bottom I made with the third square. And so on...
 
 
First box completed. I added a picture of the finished puzzle in the box because some of these puzzles are really difficult.
 

Here you see this one: look how the pieces are cut on the colour lines on the minarets.


I made nine boxes in slightly different sizes, copied the original logos from the boxes and glued the copies on the new boxes.
 
 
I think I must go through every jigsaw puzzle, put it together, measure it, count the pieces, take a photo, and add it to to box with the pieces. Some puzzles have a note about missing pieces, but I also have a box with some spare pieces. It would be fun to find the right picture for all of them.
 
 

11 comments:

  1. Sometimes the sewing bug sleeps and we find other ways to occupy our time. I'm impressed with your box making skills. Good to know we can inherit our children's creativity. :o)

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  2. You've done a wonderful job making boxes. You have way more puzzles than I do. Mine are store bought and some have not even been opened yet.
    Perhaps it's just the starting that is stopping you from sewing. I find that is the case with some things I want to do. It's hard to start but once started, I want to keep going.

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  3. Wow what a wonderful job you are doing with this old puzzles ;-) I am very impressed Ulla ;-)
    Take care and have fun !

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  4. So terrific to have those puzzles, and really clever of you to make new boxes for them.

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  5. There are times we when we just don't seem to want to sew..
    I see you are keeping busy though making great boxes for your puzzles..

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  6. Well you have been very creative, just not in the usual way.

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  7. The puzzles are a wonderful memory. The box making looks to be a complicated as lots of quilt patterns I'm impressed with all the restoration work.

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  8. I think we all need a "sewing" break sometimes, it's necessary, too. But that does not mean you haven't been creative, your boxes look great and they seem a lot of fun to make, time well spent!

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  9. I always love to see the birds in your garden. When I take my morning walks, I can often hear the woodpecker and sometimes he gives me a chance to se him. I love the way they fly. So characteristic.
    How clever, those boxes for the amazing puzzles. Never seen a puzzle with pieces like that. You really did a wonderful job to treasure the puzzles.

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  10. Great bird watching! Do they change year to year as ours do? You've made beautiful boxes, Ulla! I am sure your daughter is proud of you!
    Cheers!

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  11. Liebe Ulla
    Die Puzzles deiner Mutter haben ein würdiges neues Zuhause gefunden in deinen schönen Kartonschachteln. Deine Tochter hat wohl das Talent von dir erhalten ;-) !! Wir haben auch noch viele Puzzles aus meiner Kindheit, leider fehlen ab und zu Teile. Aber das stört nicht gross wenn man gerne "knobbelt". Jetzt wo der Schnee langsam taut, kommen die Vögel hier weniger an die Futterstelle....wahrscheinlich wollen sie auch mal etwas Abwechslung in der Futterart :-) !
    Herzliche Grüsse
    Barbara

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