Is it safe? II

The second quilt in this series has a color scheme more intense than the previous one. It is mainly because the topic of information security becomes more and more important. 

Once again, I started out with the Thermofax. The objective was to create a printed piece of fabric as a starting point. After a few trials, I very quickly got the expression I wanted by using crimson and purples. Additional prints by using gold as an effect made the final touch. 

Then, the hunt started for matching fabrics. I had a rough idea of the overcall design, and knew I wanted larger fabric pieces as opposed to a very complicated patchwork design consisting of tiny pieces. My stash did not contain good supporting fabrics, so I needed to make my own. Using Procion MX dyes, I created two series of crimson reds, purples and blues. Some of them shown here.

I then started to play around with the full ensemble of fabrics.

It took a while until I had them all in place. Usually there is a lot of folding, cutting, moving fabrics around and so on, until I am satisfied. This is definately a fun, creative part for me. I wanted a mix of larger untouched areas and the smaller, more detailed, busy areas in this piece. Towards the end, I still needed one contrasting color in browns that I did not have in my handdyed stash. So I needed to dig around amongst my commercial fabrics. Found a perfect match with some wavy print which reminded me of elecro waves in computers. Perfect for this piece.

The top was finally as complete as could be. 

I knew I wanted a collage look, just as the first quilt in the series. I got good supporting threads from my favourite supplier of handdyed perl cotton (she does three kinds of threads, they are all great for handwork).

In addition to covering my quilts in hand stitching, I also twist my own cords that I decorate with. 

For this particular piece, I needed the numbers 0s and 1s in cutouts which I made from my Scan Cut machine. The fabric is easily cut out after it is backed with a coat of Vlisofix-similar paper.

After spending about 50 hours of stitching, the final piece looked like this.

Notes from a traveling journal

2015 was a very busy year for me workwise as I spent a lot of my time packing and unpacking suitcases travelling from location to location within the company I worked for at that time. I worked for a company that has offices all over the world. The year had 10 trips and. a total of 100 days of travel for me. Spending a lot of time in hotel rooms is an understatement.

These notebook or journalpages were created in each location as the year progressed. Serving a dual purpose of being my creative pocket each day in addition to leaving me with a nice souvernir from each trip.

Each notebook page contains ephemera and memorabilia collected in each place and inspired by characteristics of each location, in addition to experiences had and people that I met on my way.

For display purposes all journal pages are mounted on a piece of cloth, but soon it will be turned into a book.

The piece does not hold a very high artistic standard as it is merely what it is: Journal entries for a travelling quilt artist. But when the pieces are shown at exhibits, it always causes people to stop and have a second look, or to have the story told.

Explanations and notes about each journal entry:

Edinburgh (Scotland)

Coblestones from Princess Street stenciled and outlined with stitches. Ribbon from the Dakota Hotel where we always stayed. The grass is never greener than in Scotland even in the Winter. Stamps to mail postcards home. The E logo is taken from the Scotish Railway station at Edinburgh Waverly. Hand dyed threads for stitching.

Bergen (Norway)

The characteristic houses of Bryggen is hand drawn and painted with Inktense Pencils. Bergen gets a lot of rain throughout the year, so drew raindrops, too. Cutouts of the hotel logo and a fish in a net. Stamp with the portrait of one of Bergen's big sons; Ole Bull.

Singapore I
The impressive trees at Gardens By the Bay is appliqued and embroidered. The wheel is the big Ferris wheel by the seaside. HOPE is the word for the big project I was leading at the time, and the stamps shows two various trades that are going extinct in Singapore. Vintage threads for stitching.

Bangalore (India)
The colorful strips really illustrates the vibrant Saris of our Indian developers on the project team. When we visited, they all dressed in their best Sari with a high glam factor, displaying a massive impression for me who was dressed in a black and white businesslike dress (!). A nice elephant button found in a store. Tag from teabag.

Rio de Janeiro (Brazil)
Hand drawn tiles from the pattern in the cobble stones of the Ipanema beach using Inktense pencils. Palmtree and ribbons illustrating the festive carnival season. Authentic miniature flipflop from Havaianas. Silk ribbon and hand stitches with Aurifil 12wt.

Rio de Janeiro (Brazil)
Hand drawn image of a Rio favela by using Inktense. Souvernir statue of Christ the redeemer purchased on the top of Corcovado in Rio. The newly learned word HOLA cut of a Brazilian newspaper. Beads spelling SAMBA and BOSSA NOVA. Embroidered masts and a brass coin. Hand stitched with Aurofil 12 wt.

Singapore II
Photo image of an elephant taken in the Singapore Zoo during feeding time. The luxury hotel Marina Bay Sands hotel is painted and stitched. Singapore MRT (metro) is printed using a selfmade Thermofax screen. The top of a Tiger Balm box and sequins indicating the wonderful exotic fruit selections in the city. Hand stitching with hand dyed threads and Aurifil 12 wt. 

Houston (Texas)
Appliqued (rental) car and long and winding back roads during rush hours going to and from work. Selfmade Thermofax screen is used to print the street map (of Houston). Image of the Houston skyline. "Green stuff" (money) and lots of dollars for shopping.

Singapore III
The massive flower boxes on the balconies of the terraced hotel which was my home for many, many weeks that year in Singapore, is illustrated using twisted cords in various threads and ribbons. Little napkin coaster from the Regent Hotel stitched on. Small "flower" to represent the lovely Botanical gardens. Hand stitches using hand dyed threads.

Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia)
The Kuala Lumpur skyline with the Petronas Towers is chosen to represent this city. It is also embroidered. Inside the towers, the que of turists in imaginery "Disney lines" (painted on the floor) in line to get up to the Observation deck (86th floor).  Piece of Malaysian $1 bill.