Step 1 The material consists of sundried leaves from raffia palm. The raffia palm thrives on Madagascar's humid, warm shores.

Step 2. Weaving the raffia palmleaves is an important supplement to subsistence farming in this community on the Malagasy highlands.

Step 4. Dying the raffia palmleaves. Only dyes complying with the Öko-Tex 100 standard is used for La Maison Afrique FAIR TRADE assortment.

Steg 5. Madame Laure gets dyes when she delivers the finished fabrics to the capital. She dyes so much that it is enough raffia for weaving in many houses (farms) in the village. It is the women who weave.

Step 6. Mme Laure sitting upstairs in her house weaving. Her house is typical for the region, built with local materials.

Step 7. Before start weaving, Mme Laure splits the palmleaves lengthwise, ties in order to make a long thread, wind the thread on a quill.

Step 8. She sets up the piece and starts weaving. The handlooms are made by the men in the village. A handloom lasts for some 15 years.

Step 9. To weave raffia demands time - but the result is good!

Step 10. The weaving supplement subsistence agriculture. Agriculture is putting food on the table - but it does not give a surplus that can be sold.

Step 11. Road conditions to / from the village is extremely difficult. The woven raffian involves minimal weight and volume - it is an opportunity to take advantage of for the residents

Cutting out. Mlle Lanto and Mme Vola are two of six sisters who sew stylish hats of raffiaväven.

Ironing. Mme Bako irons the woven raffia before sewing. Re-hot coal is put into the iron.

Sewing. Mme Vola shows the hat she has just finished with the sewing machine. Click on the picture and you will find this and several other stylish hats in La Maison Afrique FAIR TRADE range.

Shopping- and picnic baskets. Mme Viviane uses woven raffia to the outside of the baskets. Designs on the baskets are created by applications and sewn embroidery. Click on the picture to find a range of different designs; flowers, cats, frogs.

Bags. Mme Jeannine and M Georges, two experienced artisans who collaborates with La Maison Afrique FAIR TRADE since the mid 90s. This bag is one of the latest models. Click on the picture, and you will find it in the bag assortment.

Fair & Sustainable roses.