author
Ann Macbeth
A leading figure in the Glasgow Movement, this British embroiderer and teacher helped turn needlework into a respected art form. Her books and classes brought creative craft into everyday life, while her designs also supported the cause of women's suffrage.
1 Audiobook
The Playwork Book
by Ann Macbeth
About the author
Born in Bolton, England, on September 25, 1875, and raised in a Scottish family, Ann Macbeth became one of the best-known textile artists of her day. She studied at the Glasgow School of Art and went on to teach there for many years, eventually leading its embroidery department. She was closely connected with the Glasgow Style and the wider circle often linked with Charles Rennie Mackintosh and the Glasgow Girls.
Macbeth was known for bold, decorative embroidery that blended art with practical design. She exhibited widely, lectured in Britain and abroad, and wrote instructional books including Educational Needlecraft and, with May Spence, School and Fireside Crafts. Her writing helped make craft feel accessible, useful, and imaginative for students and home makers alike.
She was also active in the women's suffrage movement, designing banners for suffrage organizations and using her artistic skills in public life as well as in the studio. That mix of artistry, teaching, and social purpose gives her work a lasting appeal, especially for readers interested in design history, creative education, and the revival of traditional crafts.