In art and design higher education (HE) in the United Kingdom (UK) the significance of educator creative practice to learning and teaching has been widely recognised. However, pressures existing in the HE system and the continual emphasis on research have led to a shift away from the prominence of professional practice. This situation is existent in textile design HE in the UK, where there is minimal documented discourse surrounding relationships between textile creative practice and research and textile design research methodologies. This paper therefore centres on this context and examines textile educator approaches to creative practice and research. The methods used comprise a self-case study of the author’s evolving designer educator role, an online quantitative survey and case studies consisting of primarily qualitative interviews. Educational employment is described in relation to mode, function, research activity and frequency of creative practice. A wide range of opinions and approaches to creative practice and research are evident. Analysis of the case study data highlights seven different approaches; these are described and subsequently discussed in terms of designerly practices for commercial creative practice and designerly practice for research. A shift from designerly to more artistic practice is apparent due to the research emphasis in several of the case study examples. In addition to discussion surrounding other findings, areas for further research are described.