Kiltmaker hailed by Strictly’s JJ
It took 14 hours to weave and perfect as she worked tirelessly into the early hours...
But 27- year- old Edinburgh kiltmaker Emma Wilkinson says it was worth it for JJ Chalmers to wear the Cameron of Erracht modern military tartan during his Viennese waltz on Saturday night’s Strictly Come Dancing.
JJ, a Scottish TV presenter and Invictus Games medallist who was injured in a bomb blast while serving in Afghanistan as a Royal Marine, has already been pictured wearing an older kilt in practice but the custom- made version with a gold military pleat will be donned tonight.
Emma, who works for Gordon Nicolson Kiltmakers in the Canongate, says it will be the first time one of her kilts has appeared on television and the teamwere“delighted” toreceive a video from JJ and his professionaldancepartner, Amydowden, thanking them for their efforts this week.
She said: “I was a bit teary and I’m so excited about having this kilt I have made on TV.”
Emma said the team were contacted l ast week about making the kilt for JJ, having made one for Anton Du Beke when he danced with Scottish tennis coach Judy Murray on Strictly.
Once it was known on Sunday night that JJ had made it through to this weekend’s show, they received the cloth from Lochcarron in Selkirk on Monday and Emma made a start to the kilt at 2pm.
She worked until 3am the next morning and, after a few hours’ sleep, made the finishing touches on Tuesday before it was mailed to London on Wednesday morning.
Emma, who graduated from Edinburgh College of Art with a degree in textiles, continued: “It was a great opportunity for ever yone here to be part of
Strictly again and it’s a really high note in what has been a really hard year, so we really appreciate the platform, and it’s a real morale boost in the team. It’s a real high point in my career.” She said the team
breathed a collective sigh of relief when they heard it fitted JJ yes terday.
Emma is the only kiltmaker t o have received Queen Eliz abeth Scholarship Trust funding for her craft and she
used it to undertake an intensive course at Gordon Nicols on’s Edinburgh Kil t makers Academy, where she now teaches.