About Shelagh 

My name is Shelagh (sounds like Shay-la) and I am the one-woman-show behind Stuart Moores Textiles (Stuart was my great-grandfather, you can read about our story below). I am a textile artist and professional natural dyer, specializing in traditional natural dyes and historically accurate dye techniques. My work is predominantly inspired by the history of textile arts and crafts, from grand tapestries made by 11th century master artisans to hand stitched home goods made by 18th century homemakers. I have a degree in Textile Design and a two year certificate in Horticulture. I currently work out of my home-studio along the Potomac River in Maryland and share my passion for textile crafts as an instructor, teaching in the Mid-Atlantic and New England regions.

About Stuart

Stuart was my great-grandpa, pictured above on the right, and the little guy in the center was my grandpa. (To the left is my great grandma but she would die shortly after this picture was taken so my grandpa never got to know her very well.)

Growing up, I was very close with my grandpa, he encouraged all of my crazy ideas and passion projects, hobbies and dreams. He paid me in quarters for every push-up I could do (I never made very much money, sadly) and bought me every book he found on being an independent, strong woman (who knew there were so many of these written!). When I got a job in China, he bought a phrase book so he could help me practice my Mandarin. And when my husband and I moved to Australia, he got us each a copy of Bill Bryson's book ‘In A Sunburned Country’ so we could all read it together. We talked a couple times a week and no matter where I was, I always found a way to call to tell him what I was up to and find out what he was doing.

Then one New Years Eve I got a call that my grandpa had had a fall and that he might not make it. I was literally on the next flight home and made it to the east coast as the United States rang in the New Year at midnight. My grandpa was not in good shape but I stayed with him in the hospital and he slowly got better over the next couple weeks.

On the last day before I left to head back to Australia, my grandpa asked if we could talk. He told me a story I had heard a lot growing up, about his father, Stuart, and of how brilliant Stuart was and the dreams Stuart had but because of two world wars and a life marked by a lot of personal tragedy, Stuart was never able to do the thing he wanted to do most in life. My grandpa finished with this: 'You don't have any of those things standing in your way. Do something meaningful to you, something you really want to do, and do it all the way. You can do anything.'

I boarded the plane back to Australia and spent the next ten hours writing my business plan. I didn't know what my business would be exactly but I had a degree in Textile Design, a certificate in Horticulture, and an undying obsession with historical textiles. It would take me a few years still to figure that out, but I knew one thing for certain, it would be called Stuart Moores Textiles and I would 'do it all the way'.