This paper tapestry collage was made by punch-cutting individual circles from painted security envelopes and adhering them to embroidery thread and invisible thread that was woven into an open grid. The traditional embroidery pattern, a hybrid from a few regions of Ukraine where my family is from, is tattered but with enough information left to reconstruct it. Ukrainian embroidery is considered to be a talisman against evil. Wearing an embroidered shirt is meant to protect you, but this is a psychological protection – as the security envelope is meant to protect what it contains even though it can be easily opened. Believing in these protections, to me, goes beyond paganism, superstitions, or – in the case of the envelope – trust. I also see optimism or hope.