Born on 29 May 1858 in Skövde, Västergötland, Emma Carolina Helena Zickerman was the daughter of the pharmacist Carl Peter Zickerman and his wife Hedvig Amalia née Malmgren. She was raised in Skövde together with her three brothers. After studying sewing and weaving at the school run by the Friends of Handicraft in Stockholm, she returned to Skövde in 1886 where she taught textile arts and, collaborating with Agnes Behmer, opened an embroidery shop selling their works and patterns. The following year she studied at the South Kensington Museum and went on to exhibit at the 1897 Stockholm Exposition, receiving a silver medal.