An introduction to Train x Stitch Tours

For a while, I had a lifestyle with many commuting hours. It evolved into cross-stitching time and is represented by my ‘Commuter Life‘ series. Commuting isn’t a positive activity and our natural instinct is to find ways to minimise it. My commute improved by attaching positive associations and almost alleviated the long-day fatigue.

At the end of 2023, this lifestyle changed and I discovered needing a new purpose for train travel. I wanted to keep stitching on trains and I had the opportunity of doing it without commuting.

For me, 2024 started with researching and planning adventures featuring trains and exciting activity along the way.

Trains are a great studio space but not my only one

I create for many hours outside of trains, otherwise I wouldn’t generate enough artwork or be on too many trains. At home, the favoured locations feature warmth and light, important in the NSW Southern Highlands:

• Evening stitching with TV in front of me, fire to the side, and light directly above.
• A sunny corner with north and west-facing windows (the picture was taken to celebrate World Embroidery Day 2024).
• My new shed has large double windows facing north, providing excellent morning warmth and light. I tend to use this space more for non-stitching artwork components.

Trains give perfect creative stimuli

What is that phrase? Something like, “You don’t get ideas or solve problems sitting at your desk or in a meeting“. We need new stimuli. I don’t follow a pattern and do minimal pre-planning, so new stimuli are important for my creative process.