The Warmth And Comfort Of A Quilt

by Elmer Prather, guest blogger

This is the 26th Cobble Hill puzzle that I have had the pleasure of putting together. It is a 500 piece puzzle appropriately titled "Portrait of a Quilt" by Hellen Klebesadel.

"Portrait of a Quilt" 500 piece by Helen Klebesadel. Assembled & Photo by Elmer Prather.

The reason I chose this puzzle was the brilliant colors in the fabrics displayed. The pieces reminded me of the different colored cloth my mother, grandmother and aunts used to make quilts. We lived in the country when I was growing up and my mother would let me do some of the sewing of the quilts that they made. I really enjoyed that. This puzzle was a pleasure to put together because as the puzzle came together, I could see in the puzzle the same colors of the pieces of cloth they used for the quilts. It made me want to find a needle, a thimble and some cloth to sew together.

My mother has passed but I was blessed to have had the best while she was here.

NEW 2020 Cobble Hill Puzzle - "Portrait of a Quilt" - includes reference poster

Available at your local retailer or favourite online store.
On the Cobble Hill website, search item code: 85079

The Informational Age of Puzzles

The Information Age began in the 20th century and continues on today. From being on the computer while watching TV or doing a puzzle and listening to a podcast, more than ever, people are multi-tasking to cram in as much information as possible while completing a task. So, it only makes sense that puzzles would soon welcome itself into this information age in the 21st century - it's "elementary, my dear Watson".

"Sherlock" 1000 pieces - a small excerpt from a 2020 informational puzzle

While puzzles are an ideal hobby for relaxing, after the puzzle is complete there are only a few options.  At some point after the puzzle is assembled, whether immediately or delayed, it needs to be dismantled. The other option is to preserve the puzzle with glue or some other method so that it can continue to be enjoyed, perhaps as a piece of art.

However, in between these two options, we say welcome to the informational age of puzzles! Cobble Hill is presenting a type of puzzle that provides information about a particular subject.  The company started with a few light versions of this "informational puzzle" by creating collages of quotes on different subjects like Dog Quotes, Cat Quotes, Chicken Quotes, Butterfly Quotes, Moth Quotes, but the information was more whimsical in nature in that they were simply quotes.

"The cocks may crow, but it's the hen that lays the egg" from Chicken Quotes 1000 piece puzzle

In 2020, Cobble Hill began introducing a more in depth type of informational puzzle for the more epistemophilic puzzler. Around the image subject, one would find anything from facts, figure, dates, and quotes. When a puzzler has assembled the puzzle, it can then be enjoyed for its information.

Cobble Hill has started out with a few space themes that include interesting facts and some speculation about our solar system. "The Moon" and "The Planet Mars" are two 1000 piece puzzles created from the work of Eleanor Lutz. She is a PhD candidate in the University of Washington Biology Department. She has a remarkable ability to take vast amounts of data and make it visually arresting.  To learn more about her science illustration visit the website (Tabletop Whale).

"The Moon" 1000 pieces with beautiful illustrations and arresting facts.

"The Planet Mars" 1000 piece with a visually appealing layout.

These solar system puzzles are definitely a challenge to put together, but they can be sorted into sections by colour and are completely achievable. We recommend these for the more avid puzzler or for a group of determined individuals.

To see more of these types of puzzles, visit our website's "Shop By Theme" link and click on the "Informational" link.  We'll share one more image of Sherlock so you can see what the excerpt looks like relative to the whole puzzle below.

"Sherlock" 1000 piece box, includes a reference poster.