Hand embroidery & smocking
Hand embroidery is the signature gesture of our workshops, passed on for three decades.
Topic hub
Madagascar textile artisanal craftsmanship
Hand embroidery, smocking, drawn thread, dyeing, couture finishes, raffia crochet: the techniques behind premium layette value.
Updated August 2026 · Written by the LOI Confection technical team
Garment construction techniques
From cutting to assembly: what distinguishes a couture piece from an industrial one.
Dyeing & printing
Reactive dyeing, natural dyeing and textile printing integrated in-house.
Raffia & accessories (Sobika)
Our Sobika brand: bags, hats and accessories woven and crocheted in Madagascar raffia.
Workshops & production lines
Our two workshops: 15 lines for medium/large runs, 4 lines for small runs.
Craft-driven product segments
Where hand embroidery makes the difference: premium layette, ceremony, christening.
Who writes this guide
Shop-floor expertise, not theory
This guide is written and reviewed by LOI Confection’s methods, quality and sales teams, based on technical files actually produced in our Madagascar workshops. Figures come from our day-to-day production and certification audits.
30 years
of manufacturing in Madagascar
1 000+
workshop employees
19 lines
across 2 workshops
GOTS · BSCI · WRAP
audited certifications
Sources: internal technical files and certification standardsLearn more about LOI Confection
Continue with the other guides
Our topic hubs cover the full journey of a textile buyer.
Choosing a manufacturer & sourcing in Madagascar
Factory selection, real costs, incoterms, EU customs and supplier audit.
Open the guideChildren’s garment quality & standards
Safety, quality control, certifications and regulatory compliance.
Open the guideSustainable fashion & responsible manufacturing
Organic cotton, traceability, eco-design, upcycling and social impact.
Open the guideFrequently asked questions
Can hand embroidery scale industrially?
Not machine-scale, but yes at high volume: our in-house-trained embroiderers hand-produce several hundred thousand pieces per year. The key is specialist team organisation by motif.
What is the cost premium for hand embroidery?
It depends on surface, thread count and pattern. A simple initial adds a few cents; a full smock on a ceremony dress can be 15-25% of the manufacturing cost.
Is raffia used for clothing?
No. At LOI, raffia is strictly for accessories (bags, hats) under the Sobika brand. It is never used in our baby or children's clothing.
Certification information
Global Organic Textile Standard – certificate issued by Ecocert Greenlife, no. GOTS-13200 — valid until 2026-09-30
Organic Content Standard – certificate issued by Ecocert Greenlife, no. TE-00004788 — valid until 2026-09-26
Only products covered by a valid transaction certificate are certified; they are labelled separately. This scope certificate is not proof that delivered goods are certified.
