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Woven sundried leaves from the raffia-palm becomes material for many artisans, making different crafts.
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Raffia-palm (Raphia-Arecaceae) A highly appreciated palm-tree since it, during the 1860, was found that its leaves could be woven into a strong and beautiful material; "Rabane".
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In Andramasina it is difficult to make a living from agriculture. Weaving and selling raffia is an important source of income. The location is on the Malagasy highlands, not very far from the capital--but however isolated due to the very poor roads.
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Step 2) Before weaving, Mme Laure splits the palmleaves lengthwise, ties in order to make a long thread, wind the thread on a quill.
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Step 3) 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.
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Step 4) To weave raffia demands time - but the result is good!
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Step 1) The raffia is dyed
Only Öko-Tex certified dyes are used for La Maison Afrique FAIR TRADE assortment. Madame Laure collects the dyes when she delivers the woven material to the capital. She dyes a large amount of raffia, sufficient for weaving in many of the houses (farms) in the village. It is the women who are weaving.
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Mme Vololona is designing and sewing hats in a small studio. Picture above left from the studio, picture above right Mme Vololona in Art nr 25161
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Art nr 25161 Chapeau Classique Colour: Mauve
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Art nr 25162 Chapeau Homme rabane
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Art nr 25162 Chapeau Printemps
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Woven raffia "rabane" (Art nr 295) is used to make hats and, combined with other materials, to make bags, baskets , various interior items.
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Mlle Lanto and Mme Vola (above) are two of six sisters who together are sewing and plaiting hats. - Mme Vololona is their cousin. The pictures to the right are examples of their elegant hats in La Maison Afrique FAIR TRADE assortment.
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Art nr 2516 Chapeau Capeline
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Mme Sahondra makes, together with relatives on the farm, the top-seller Art nr 282 Triple basket for the wall. In the picture, she is making a new model of the popular original.
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Plaited, sundried leaves from the raffia palm becomes hats and bags
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Also Mme Clarisse (picture above) uses plaited raffia for making hats with matching bags. However, her technique is to first make thin plaits of the raffia, then plait these thin plaits to broader plaits--which are eventually sewn together to make hat and bag. It is a time demanding craft and they are many women in her home village that together make the deliveries to La Maison Afrique FAIR TRADE.
Hat model in the picture above: Art nr 2572 Chapeau Clarisse Brim 11cm
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Mme Vololoniaina designs and makes hats with sisters-in-law on the Malagasy countryside. The materials they use are sundried raffia palm leaves ( + Öko-Tex certified dyes). They plait many different models. One of the latest is Art nr 2520 Chapeau Lolo (picture above).
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Mme Soamalala Mariette is designing and making crafts together with two other women. They plait the raffia palm leaves to a plait, then they sew the plait together to make hats and bags. Below some examples of their products.
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Art nr 2454 Shoulder bag Clarisse Zip Colours: Naturewhite, Shades of green, Shades of blue D=32cm B=28x10cm
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Art nr 2541 Chapeau
Mariette Courbé
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Art nr 2457 Shoulderbag
Mariette
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See Fair Trade assortment for more pictures of raffia products, information material (in pdf and pps-format) and order forms.
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