Morag Macpherson Textiles

Pink Route

My creative practice is full of variety that includes other art forms such as line drawing, photography and layout design aswell as practice associated with textiles such as sewing, patchwork, printmaking on textiles, natural dyeing, botanical printing and painting.
Ive enjoyed teaching myself, mostly, over the last 20 years and I seem to thrive when im left to my own devices! Im not interested in following others ways of doing things and enjoy devising my own structures and pathways that reflect my authentic imagination.
Research is important to me and usually starts with art history, anthropology and nature immersion.
A sustainable practice becomes more important every year, therefore working with and incorporating repurposed fabrics into my creations is something thats increasingly important and a real joy for me.
Colour is my starting point, my end point – and is the cornerstone of everything I do, which is unapologetically revealed when you see my work – usually bold, bright creations unless naturally dyed which shows a subtler palette that is beautiful in itself.

Behind the Scenes
Click image to enlarge

About My Practice

In 2026 I will be 20 years as a self employed Textile Artist!
Im very proud of this achievement!
I began by digitally printing surface pattern creations onto textiles in 2006. Strong art history research and anthropology interest led to a strong graphic style which was printed onto accessories and interior solutions. (Previously I had been a Graphic Artist for 12 years and brought elements of my career into my practice). I still like to create pattern designs which start as line drawings (or original photographs) and become digitally rendered and printed as limited editions on silk scarves and linen cushions. The colour possibilities of digital printing was the only way i could get literally hundreds of colours into one design. Bold bright colour was everything during my beginnings in Textile Art and Design.
I became interested in patchwork in 2010 when i realised how vibrant and interesting my textiles could look when patterns were sat alongside each other. Especially designs and colourways that didn’t seem to ‘fit’ , but overall when fashioned into clothing, the end result was a vibrant clash of styles and colourways that excited me and my audience.
I also used patchwork as a metaphor to unite differences, to create a unified whole. When im patchworking i remember this and feel that humanity could be like a beautiful patchwork if we didn’t divide through our differences, but instead make our uniqueness the beautiful uniting force that brings us together. I love to live in my imagination and create my own worlds when im in ‘the zone’ of creativity. Music is an important part of my creation process and helps open my mind. (Im talking about listening to music, not creating it).
Patchwork is also an amazing way to repurpose, reuse and therefore nothing is wasted. I love how the origins of patchwork in history teach us how to live more sustainably today.
Low waste is always important to me and I have a natural affinity with being careful that everything is used or reused.

During a mural project in 2016, I developed a love for abstract painting which has lingered to this day. I felt embodied when in the process of painting abstractly (out of my head where i can live too much at times). This led me to pursue workshops with local painter Annie Peel, funded by a Visual Arts and Craftmaker Award. I learnt from my mural collaborator, Tellas, during an Upland project called Rural Mural which influenced future collections and led to a future collaboration on printmaking, collage and textiles in 2023. Screen-printing and mono-printing began making an appearance in my work which id only touched on before. Abstract painting remains a feature in some of my work and im developing new learnings in 2026, still to be imagined.

Since 2017, i became very interested in natural dyeing and botanical printing. Through a series of workshops supported by Craft Scotland, Creative Scotland annd Upland, I learned new techniques and found a love for a more subtle but natural colour palette. I mix this with repurposed textiles to create unique patchworks and I also take commissions for fully dyed garments. This new style of working more sustainably led to a local Artist in Residence project with Chrichton Carbon Centre supported by Creative Scotland. A visual art project incorporating drawing, writing, photography, film-making, sound art and costume was imagined and realised over a nine month period. It was an immersive and joyful experience spending many days hanging about on peatlands! Collaborating with local film-makers, photographers, sound artists, models and artists meant it was a true Dumfries and Galloway project from beginning to end which made me very happy and honoured to be a part of the talent that resides in this unique corner of Scotland.

Recently I’ve been on residency at Elizabeth Ogilvie’s Sealoft/Laterlab in Kinghorn, Fife where i enjoyed time to research and experiment with ideas planted during my peatlands residency.

Right now im anticipating change as my practice grows, expands, illuminates and transforms. Especially through a recent period of grief and loss. How this might interpret future creation, I can only anticipate at this moment….

Tools & Materials

I create from my home and garden studio at Shepherdess Cottage located on the hill overlooking kirkcudbright Bay, just outside Kirkcudbright.
I live alone with my adorable dog Shanti and therefore every room in my cottage (and garden and outbuildings) is my studio!
My large table in the main living area is used for cutting patterns, laying out patchworks, cutting fabric, and this is where my sewing machine is stationed. I also do laptop and computer work here.
What used to by guest room has been taken over by large collapsible table that is used for ‘messy’ creation. This is where i screenprint, monoprint, woodblock print, collage etc
The second bedroom is now a storeroom for my rails, cushion inners, packaging, mannequins, tables etc and anything else that i require when doing my exhibitions and shows. I can do more than ten shows or exhibitions per year which takes me all over the UK. These shows are high quality craft fairs run by organisations such as Craft Festival (Bovey Tracey, Cheltenham and Wales); Teagreen (Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Dundee and Glasgow); Handmade (Oxford and London); Great Northern Contemporary (Manchester and Newcastle); Made (London and Brighton); Pittenwe’em Arts festival (Fife) and Craftsmen at the Priory (Cumbria).
My main large bedroom is full of fabric! Everywhere!! This is where i hoard repurposed fabrics that i collect from scrap stores, charity shops, donations, interior designers, factory shops and more! I also hold small stock of my own original digitally printed fabric and rolls of plain fabric that i use to dye (hemp, linen, fine wool, eco-silk, silk noil etc)
My kitchen doubles as a dye studio when i have a dye project running or im doing preparation for workshops.
Outside i have a platform next to my woodshed which i have under canopy and experiment with botanical printing when the weather is agreeable.
The shed is used to home my big collection of aluminium jam pans, glass jars, fish kettles and other containers all used in the natural dyeing process.
So in the true spirit of never wasting anything …! I incorporate every inch of my cottage and garden to include every aspect of my varied practice.