As part of her visit, she met with Marion Foster, the College’s founder, together with other members of the team and some of the students. Amongst other items on the itinerary, she learned how the College teaches the skills necessary to become a master kilt tailor, how it encourages wider learning of other related crafts, and, thanks to modern technology, how the College can both educate and also learn from online students from around the world.
The stole in the photo was presented to the Princess Royal during her visit, and was created by one of the College’s former students who now works with our founder, Marion Foster.
The beautiful fringe was hand-frayed, taking care not to catch the warp threads. The threads were then traditionally knotted with patience and diligence, paying attention to the pattern, tension, and uniformity of the knotting.
This traditional fringing is now becoming less available because the technique requires skill and is labour-intensive. The time to fray, knot and finish ranges from 12 to 24 hours, depending on the size of the cloth.
Isn’t the stole beautiful? And… can you see the wonderful plaque on top of the table? This will be a long-lasting reminder of the wonderful day. Marion has worked tirelessly to bring everything together, and without her, none of this would have happened.
