Roll-UpPuzzleMat

I started Northern Lights Puzzle in February. For the first time I used puzzle mat because I knew when starting that I will progress slow and I need to put it a side at least for once.

It is TACTIC Roll-Up Puzzle Mat. It has inflatable tube (the white one on the pic) with three elastic fasteners. The fabric is 1mm black felt. 

The puzzle mat is easy to use for rolling up and opening. What I don't like in it is the felt fabric when you are doing the puzzle. I prefer slippery base. Because of the frost and cold climate my fingertips are usually dry no matter how I try to moisture them. The felt background feels tricky and sticky when making the puzzle despite they work perfect when needing to roll it all away in the middle of the process.

Northern Lights Puzzle

On Christmas 2022 dear Mr.W gave this for me as a Christmas gift. For a year I have been waiting a spare moment to spend some time with it. Of course it is a beautiful landscape from Lapland, Finland but it has a special meaning to me:

Northern Lights play a special role in my Sámi culture heritage. Actually, Northern Lights are literally called "fires of fox", not "lights of north". In my culture the Northern Lights are born when a fox runs over or by a fell in a winter time when the ground is snowy and frost hard. When the fox runs on, its tail hits the snow cover every now and then. That moment, when the fox tail hits the frozen snow cover, the action rises up sparkles into the air. The sparkles form out the burning fire in the sky. That fire is called "revontulet" (= fires of the fox). The fox lights up the fire because it is getting cold. It is also a sign to us humans, to warn about the decreasing temperature.

I have never done this series puzzle. First I was sure the pieces are made of too weak cardboard. Very soon I noticed that despite the used cardboard material is thin it is very thick and firm. If you are vising Finland and love puzzles, this is a great option for you to bring home as souvenir!

Notice, for the first time I am testing out a puzzle mat I received on Christmas 2022. I will tell you later what I like about it.

BigPuzzleMat -tutorial

Yes, it is true, you can't buy everything. BigPuzzleMat is one of those things. Meaning a mat for 9000 piece puzzle sized 193 x 139 cm. That's why I had to make one and here's tutorial also for you. Then you or the kids can freely enjoy about the hobby. Just roll it all up when you need to clean the floor. My design for you.

The 1st guestion was; around which to roll it all up? The result was this cardboard tube. Around these they rollup the fabrics at the factories to transport the fabrics to the shops. And the fabric shops have plenty of these. And if you buy fabric they usually give this for free to you because for them it is just trash. Ask for it and ask it for free. I bought 2,5m of fabric that was 1,4m wide. It costed 19,60€ and 3m of cord that cost 2,10€ so it all together made 21,70€.

My tube is 1,4m wide so the size was just perfect. But you can also cut these tubes shorther.

Neaten the edges of the fabric. You can use sewing machine's zigzag stitch or overlock machine.You need to neaten only there where the fabric has been cut. If the fabric's side edges are not cut they won't ravel out.

If you are using overlock machine this is good way to hide the loose end. If you cut it; it will ravel out during the time for a bit. But if you leave the yarns a bit longer and hide them like this the edge will stay good looking. (From this picture you can see the side edge of the fabric which doesn't ravel out.)

You need to measure the size of the tube ring.

Mine was 19cm. I made the fold that forms out the passageway for the tube. The size of the passageway is half of 19cm = 9,5cm plus 1-2cm extra (to get the tube easily in) and the seam allowance 1cm.

Sew the passageway. And then fasten the cords to the other end of the fabric. I made 3 cords. One in the centre and two 15cm far away from the side edges. I had 3m of cord which I cut in three 1m long pieces. Then I sew these pieces from their midpoints so that each cord -at the end- was 0,5m long.

Slide the tube in.

 Roll it all up.

Tie it all up.

Ta-dah! You made it! It was not difficult at all!

PS. Excellent gift idea for a PuZZleLoveR <3