Welcome to MacPherson Designs

MacPherson kits are designed by Liz Barthram in Carluke, Lanarkshire. The kits on this and the next page are inspired largely by and form a tribute to the work of Charles Rennie Mackintosh, Architect, Designer and Artist. Born in Glasgow in 1868, Mackintosh attended the Glasgow School of Art during his architectural apprenticeship and there he met Herbert Macnair and the MacDonald sisters. Collectively, they became known as The Four and their work was central to the evolution of what became known as The Glasgow Style. Mackintosh went on to marry Margaret MacDonald whose contribution to his work was immense.

Although acclaimed on the continent, Mackintosh - perhaps not untypically - failed to achieve any great recognition (at least in his lifetime) in Glasgow; indeed, his work was often reviled. Disillusioned, he moved to Chelsea, London, in 1913 where he concentrated on textile designs and to France in 1920 where he painted many of his watercolours. For health reasons he later had to return to Britain and he died in London in 1928.

On Page 3, we feature some of Liz's designs based on Scottish Art Nouveau styles.

Finally, Liz has also produced a range of easy-to-stitch clan tartans. You'll find those on the MacPherson Tartans page.

But we start with.....