Is it cheating when, confronted with large patches of blue or white sky or swathes of grass to pile all the non-edge pieces on top of each other (pretending merely to move them away) but secretly hoping some of them join themselves up?

Kate - I just did it too. So if it's cheating we are both guilty.

Hi - did you know that if you pile the pieces they sort themselves out and you just assemble in lines? I sometimes do this when I haven't got time to spare and I want to see the picture. Cheating I suppose!

If you are color blind, you get used to working just with the shapes!

I consider whatever you do to be strategy. I sort those pieces by shape to make them easier to place. Sometimes I resort to taking a piece and trying it in every conceiveable spot. Now that's desperation!

I'm with Gramma Linda - when you play by yourself it definately is strategy!
I could work the shapes if the pieces did not get lost in the background.

OOOOOH, too much pale blue, almost white sky. At least it isn't the white that vanishes. Those are frustrating.

WELL, Whattaya know!!! They DO sort themselves out if you stack 'em.

Fun! Hello everyone!

What is cheating anyway? The only thing to take into consideration is whether we are having fun or not. So, fellow puzzle-ists, go for what you enjoy most.

When you resort to moving the pile to another spot, the another spot, then its desperate!

Hmm I'm going to try stacking them the next time to see what happens.

This barn looks like one of mine. Except, I don't have the silo.

Grannie Linda, I do not call that desperation, but the Trial and error method!! This one had lots of T & E which I always enjoy!! An interesting pic, but I think someone had mischief in mind!

I think most of us, if not all, discover the pile and sort trick early on. Since I did, I haven't sorted or piled the pieces at all and enjoy working the puzzle better this way. Anyway, if anyone wants to call piling and sorting cheating, who are you cheating out of what??? The only possible person you could cheat is yourself, methinks!

Love this old barn, by the way. It's so like my grandfather's barn was as I was growing up. I now have a piece of the barn siding hanging on my wall with "Those were the good old days" routed into the center. Great puzzle, too.

So you are a purist when it comes to jigsaws Kay?

♪ Blinded by the white! ♪

Not totally -- I seldom use the rotate feature, often do not view the picture clue, though. I do not condemn others who play by their own rules. I get a kick out of the challenge, and feel guilty that I'm cheating myself out of some brain exercise if I use the pile and auto-sort trick. More...

Perfect response, Kay. It can be done, but where's the fun.

Kay, Methinks you are a genius in life and logic. My thoughts to a T!