Jill Watson, from Cove, was given the commission in March and has been hard at work ever since to make sure the finished articles are something that everyone can be proud of.
Jill, who honed her skills during a five year stint at the Edinburgh College of Art, said she was thrilled to be asked to carry out such an important collection of work.
"It's more than an honour to be asked to do the memorial sculpture - it's a big responsibility. I have to do it justice not just for myself but for the people in the communities involved.
"All of my public work is very much for people to appreciate and its important that the public relate to it. Putting work into the public eye is always a big thing particularly in this case, when dealing with the disaster which is such an evocative subject."
Jill was asked to produce four sculptures, one for each of the communities involved- Eyemouth, Burnmouth, St Abbs and Cove. She said that living in the area and doing substantial research on the matter has made her realise just how big a bearing the disaster of 1881 had on the Berwickshire coast.
"The subject is very haunting and always something I think of when I go out to sea or watch the fishermen, for them the potential for disaster is always there.
"I felt it was important to focus on the women and children who were left behind after the disaster.
"A number of memorials have been produced in respect of the men who lost their lives but it was the women left behind who kept things going. I feel that each generation should leave their mark, and I hope my work will make a valuable contribution."
The sculptures to be placed at prominent places in each of the four fishing communities will be cast in bronze, with the base of each representing the harbour. Jill has chosen to make the width of the bases very narrow to represent a sense of danger being on the edge. The main difference between each sculpture is that they will have the exact number of women and children who were left behind from each particular community, with the children representing new hope for the future.
Jill, who has previously done work of a Royal nature for both Holyrood House and Hampton Court Palace, said she hopes that her scupltures will play an important role in how both the communities involved and visitors remember the fishing disaster.
"My main hope is that the memorials will play a part in keeping alive a sense of community, while at the same time giving people an insight into the devastation that was caused by the events of 1881.
"I would also like to think that they will provide a place for descendants of those involved to come and pay their respects and learn about their roots. The four sculptures will all form part of a trail which people can follow to see just how each port was affected.
"I very much enjoyed researching the subject and going round the different communities and hearing people's stories.
This is what helps the events to come alive - I spoke to someone whose grandfather remembered being held in a shawl by his mother while she watched the tragic events unfold."
Although she only moved to Cove 10 years ago, Jill said that she has always had a strong connection with the seaside due to her family connections and her work.
"The sea has always had a big influence on my work. It's something that fascinates me and my father's family have strong fishing links and my mother's family come from the Borders.
"I helped to organise a memorial service for the fishing disaster at Cove and I've spoken to a few fishermen who think the sculptures are a good idea. I hope they will be enjoyed for generations to come and help people remember the past while looking ahead to the future."
Benjamin Carey, managing director of Edinburgh-based Dunira Strategy, the firm responsible for delivering the scuplture trail, said that Jill beat off some strong competition to secure the commission.
"We had incredible interest in the job with over 125 enquiries in total from all over the UK and from as far afield as North America.
"What stood out about Jill's ideas was that rather than looking at those who lost their lives she concentrated on those who survived and how they bounced back.
"The fact that she has chosen to feature women and children is also in her favour as they were the ones who rejuvenated the communities after the disaster. She gives an insight into what it was like for the people that were left behind."
The 125 Association, who made the decision to have a sculpture trail, hope that Jill's statues for Eyemouth, Burnmouth and St Abbs will be in place by the end of next month, with the one for Cove being unveiled in October.
The problem at the moment is a lack of funding. At a meeting of the fundraising sub-committee on Monday night, it was decided that £90,000 is still required to complete the memorial trail- £70,000 for the sculptures and £20,000 for markings etc.
The Association are planning to launch an appeal which will see them approach a number of funding bodies including the Lottery's Awards for All scheme as well as trying to get in touch with descendants of those involved in the disaster.
Anyone wishing to donate to the appeal can send money to: 125 Association, c/o Jim Evans, Dundee House, Harbour Road, Eyemouth TD14 5DB.