Emma Wilkinson

2018 QEST Scholar - Kiltmaking
East Lothian

Kiltmaking came very organically to Emma. Upon graduating from Edinburgh College of Art with a degree in textiles, and having trained in embroidery at Hand & Lock, she decided to look back at what makes her truly tick – a deep love of her Edinburgh home, heritage and the continuation of traditional handmade crafts. All of these led her to kiltmaking.

A QEST Scholarship enabled Emma to undertake an intensive kiltmaking course at the Edinburgh Kiltmakers Academy, allowing her to gain an extensive knowledge of kiltmaking, while she pursued hand weaving, tartan design and understanding the history of kilts and tartan in her own time.

Alongside kiltmaking, Emma is a full-time textile designer at MacNaughton’s – leading tartan designers and weavers – and continues to research the historical and social impact kilts and tartan have on Scotland. For Emma, it’s not just a job, it’s a passion and she wholeheartedly hopes to help secure the future of this wonderful craft and make the industry a more positive place.

Kiltmaking isn’t just my job, it’s my life! I’m so deeply interested in every aspect of it, from the perfect finish of every kilt to the history of tartan. I feel like a tiny part of history every time I make a kilt or design a new tartan.

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