Visitors to Bath’s Assembly Rooms can see a Christmas tree with a difference – featuring knitted decorations courtesy of the Fashion Museum.
Following the success of their knitted bunting – wrapped around the Assembly Rooms for this year’s Olympic Torch Relay – the Fashion Museum’s “guerrilla knitters” have festooned the tree with a festive whirl of woolly creations.
The handmade decorations – which echo this season’s trend for knitwear – include an assortment of patterned baubles, a knitted garland wrapped around the tree and, of course, a fashionable Christmas fairy at the very top.
Rosemary Harden, Manager of the Fashion Museum, said: “The museum’s front of house staff masterminded the knitted decorations. They were so entranced by the summer yarn bombing and grateful to the 140-plus guerrilla knitters in the community who made it happen that they wanted to do a celebratory Christmas thank you and invite knitters in to the Fashion Museum to see how their work during the summer had inspired them.
“They were all busily knitting for months, and none of us quite knew any details of the secret project. Then suddenly all was unveiled with these creative Christmas decorations. Knitwear is back in a big way this season – with the Christmas jumper becoming the latest ‘must-have’ fashion item – as we can see in the windows of top name fashion stores. Obviously the Fashion Museum is bang on trend – right down to ensuring the Christmas tree at the Assembly Rooms is the height of fashion.”
This innovative approach is also evident at Bath & North East Somerset Council’s Victoria Art Gallery – which this year sports a bespoke Christmas tree made out of reclaimed bicycle wheels, and decorated with exquisite Bath Aqua Glass baubles and icicles. The ornate glass decorations are also available to buy from the Gallery shop.
Councillor Cherry Beath (Lib-Dem, Combe Down), Cabinet Member for Sustainable Development, said: “Bath & North East Somerset Council is keen to ensure everyone can enjoy a wide variety of culture and participate in creative activities – in the most innovative ways. We hope that people will appreciate the individual Christmas trees as they take in the other captivating displays at the Fashion Museum and Victoria Art Gallery over this festive season.“
Visitors to Bath’s Assembly Rooms are advised to keep a look out in 2013 for the next big project from the Fashion Museum’s guerrilla knitters – you never know where or when they may strike next.
