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Scots designer creates tartan to mark US 250th anniversary

News imageHeriot-Watt University Kaci McEwan has long brown hair and is wearing a blue dress. Grace Pak has her dark hair tied up in a bun on top of her head. She is wearing a white outfit with the US Stars and Stripes flag on the sleeve. The women are holding a scarf, which has been woven in the US 250th anniversary tartan colours of red, blue and white.Heriot-Watt University
Kaci McEwan, right, hands over a scarf made in the new tartan to Grace Pak of America250

A Borders design graduate has created a tartan to mark the 250th anniversary of the US.

Heriot-Watt University graduate Kaci McEwan's red, white and blue tartan was handed over to the America250 organisation in Washington DC on Saturday 4 July.

The date commemorates 13 US colonies signing the Declaration of Independence in 1776 to end British rule, and this year was celebrated with fireworks and flyovers.

Kaci, from Strathaven, South Lanarkshire, and has an MA in Fashion and Textile Design from the School of Textiles and Design in Galashiels, won a Scottish government competition to create the tartan.

Kaci said it felt "surreal" to hand over her tartan during the celebrations.

She said: "I feel honoured to represent Scotland in this way.

"Tartan is such a huge part of our culture and history, so I referenced the two Scottish-born signatories of the Declaration of Independence, James Wilson and John Witherspoon, within the design.

"I never imagined I would be part of a project with such a global reach."

News imageHeriot-Watt University A scarf has been woven in the US 250th anniversary tartan colours of red, blue and white.Heriot-Watt University
The design won a competition commissioned by the Scottish government

The competition was open to School of Textiles and Design students.

Entries were narrowed down to five finalists before the winner was chosen.

Kaci said: "As a designer, there is nothing more fulfilling than knowing your work will be worn and appreciated by other people."

The tartan was formally presented to America250 – the organisation coordinating celebrations the anniversary.

An initial limited run of commemorative scarves featuring the design will now be woven at Lovat Mill in Hawick.