Ship in harbour!
We are pleased that container loaded with hats and bags has arrived in Swedish harbour. Genuine Fair Trade crafts from natural materials take a long time to manufacture - but the result is Sustainable from many aspects! Shipping by sea is relatively slow & unsafe - but it is the absolutely most environmentally friendly means of transport. Production has taken one year, transport 2.5 months. In May 30 2022, the ship finally arrived in a Swedish harbour. Women in four villages in the Malagasy countryside have made the hats and bags with help of interest-free loans etc. support from La Maison Afrique FAIR TRADE. Below are some tips on great news and favourites-in-replay in the assortment.

Basket bag Etoile GM (Art nr. 24152) Basket bag Etoile has the front of raffia palm leaves skilfully braided into a very beautiful star pattern, the back of hand-woven raffia palm leaves. The basket bag has inside of braided sedges. The braided sedges gives shape and makes the basket bag comfortable to use. The handles are made of double-stitched raffia braids that have extra length so that the basket bag can be carried on the shoulder. If you want to close the basket bag, use the drawstring closure made of cotton fabric. Colour: Natural white raffia with drawstring closure in beige cotton textile. Approx. Dimensions: H32cm Bottom35x22cm Upper width40cm
GM = Grand Modèle: The basket bag Etolie is available in three sizes, of which this one (Art no. 24152) is the largest. The medium (MM) has Art No. 24153, the smallest (PM) has Art No. 24154

Chapeau Jardin (Art nr. 2524) Chapeau Jardin is a functional and stylish garden hat with a round hill and a straight brim that provides good sun protection (width 9cm). The hat is made from the artisans' local, renewable and sustainable natural materials: sun-dried sedges that is plaited. The botanical name of the sedges is Scirpus corymbosus. It is a semi-grass common in wetlands in Madagascar, in the rest of southern Africa and India. The artisans of the highlands of Madagascar call it "Ravindahasa", which is a combination of the words "ravina" = leaves and "lahasa" = work (mainly in the field). More information about basket crafts based on this and other sedges can be found on the La Maison Afrique FAIR TRADE website.

Basket bag Soleil MM (Art nr. 21451) Basket bag that combines the basket's functions with the attractiveness of a beautiful bag: The basket bag has outside of finely pattern braided raffia palm leaves, the inside of braided sedges. The braided sedges gives shape and carrying strength as well as flexibility that makes the basket bag comfortable to use. The handles are made of wide double-stitched raffia braids and have extra length so that the basket bag can be carried on the shoulder. If you want to close the basket bag, you use the drawstring closure made of cotton fabric. The cotton fabric is in a colour that matches the outside of the basket bag. Colours: Natural white with drawstring closure in beige cotton textile. Pastel blue with drawstring closure in pastel blue cotton textile. Pastel pink with drawstring closure in pastel pink cotton textile. Approx. Dimensions: H27cm Bottom28x18cm Upper width35cm
MM = Moyen Modèle: The basket bag is available in three sizes, of which this (Art no. 21451) is the medium size. The largest (GM) has Art No. 21450, the smallest (PM) has Art No. 21452

Chapeau Soleil (Art nr. 25181) The basket bag Soleil has a matching hat: Art no. Art no. 25181 Chapeau Soleil, which is a feather-light sun hat braided from sun-dried, natural white raffia palm leaves. The brim of the hat is braided in the same beautiful mesh pattern as the basket bag Soleil.

Chapeau à la campagne (Art nr. 2515) Classic farmers’ hat handmade from sun-dried raffia palm leaves that are braided into about 3cm wide ribbons and sewn together. Nice fit with round hill and small brim: approx. 5cm. Hatstring around the hill. Size: Choose between Medium 57-58cm or Large 59-60.

Chapeau Gosse (Art nr. 2507) Children's hat braided from sun-dried raffia palm leaves. The hat is soft and light and has an adjustable hatstring around the hill. Flat brim with width that protects against the sun. Colour: Nature white, Pastel blue, Pastel pink Child size: 52-54cm

Basket bag woven sisal (Art nr. 24131) Large basket bag with outside of hand-woven natural white sisal, inside of braided sedges. Braided sisal handle. The handles have extra length so that the basket bag can be carried on the shoulder. Drawstring closure of cotton fabric. The basket bag has an inner pocket with a zipper closure. Colour: Natural white sisal with drawstring closure in beige cotton textile. Approx. Dimensions: H33-35cm Bottom32x20cm Upper width45cm

In the photo at the top:
Handbag Rustique bag (Art nr. 2453) Very durable bag tied of sisal and with handles braided of sisal in combination with recycled denim fabric. The bag has an inner pocket made of recycled denim. The bag is closed with a sisal button. The bag is a genuine Fair Trade craft of - from many aspects - durable material: Sisal. Sisal can withstand wear and tear, salt water, etc. The plant (Agave Sisalana) is also very resistant; disease resistant, low water and nutrient requirements. The sisal plant can be harvested all year round for many years. The sisal in this bag has grown where the artisans live, they have harvested and processed the fibre into yarn by hand. Then they have tied the bag. More information and photos from the sisal craft can be found on the La Maison Afrique FAIR TRADE website. Recycled denim fabric: Using recycled materials (as in this case denim fabric) means reduced resource consumption, reduced garbage dumps. It helps to make the handbag Durable (Rustique). The bag is available in two colour options: Natural white or natural white with a navy blue pattern. Approx Dimensions: H27cm, Bottom diameter20cm, Upper diameter25cm
Chapeau sisal (Art nr. 256) The hat crocheted of sisal is a favourite-in-repeat that perfectly matches the sisal handbag. Chapeau Sisal is a very practical and durable hat that is liked by everyone.