Ann Tennant

My Journey with Weaving

My connection with weaving began in childhood. As a little girl, I watched my mother create centre cane work. She was part of a local group of women who came together as a neighbourhood community, sharing skills and exploring different crafts. I remember tea trays, teapot stands and raffia lamp shades, and I remember being fascinated by the process of making something useful by hand. Even then, I knew one day I would find my own way into the world of weaving.

My weaving journey began in 2002, initially teaching myself through books. The following year, I had the opportunity to attend a week-long Basketmakers’ Association course, where I learned traditional round basket making and was introduced to willow.

I was immediately captivated. The smell of freshly soaked willow, its texture and flexibility, the beauty of the finished work, and above all, the challenge of mastering the material—I was hooked.

From there, I continued to develop my skills, exploring oval and square basketry and even trying animal sculpture. I attended courses, learnt from experienced makers and immersed myself in the weaving books available at the time. Each new technique brought another challenge and another way of understanding the material. 

In 2007, however, I had to stop weaving as it had become too demanding for my hands. I never lost my love for the craft and almost two decades later, in August 2025, an unexpected opportunity brought me back to it.

My husband asked whether I would weave a table stand for a project he was working on. He didn't have to ask twice—I jumped straight back in. How difficult could it be after 18 years?

As it turned out, quite difficult!

The knowledge was still there, but the control was not. And we certainly hadn't chosen an easy shape for my return: a wide base narrowing towards the middle before widening out again to match the base—a form that, to me, resembles a spinning top. Three attempts later, I finally had a finished base that I was immensely proud of.

That first project reignited something in me. I returned to willow with renewed enthusiasm and, more recently, began exploring rush. I am fascinated by the different qualities of each material—the way they respond, the challenge of working with their individual characteristics, and the possibilities they offer.

When I first began learning in 2002, basketmaking was in worrying decline and many traditional techniques were at risk of disappearing. Today, we are surrounded by countless influences, materials and ideas, creating exciting possibilities for contemporary basketry and traditional work.

I have experimented with many different materials but I always return to willow and recently rush. There is something about these natural materials—their texture, scent, strength and unpredictability—that continues to draw me back.

For me, weaving is a balance between respecting the traditions that first inspired me, while exploring what is possible when those traditions meet new ideas, forms and influences.

• Basketry
• Rush (Basketry)
• Traditional
• Willow (Basketry)