Working hard . . . or hardly working at Pierotucci Leather Factory?

I’d say we are all working hard to get the last of the bags cut and assembled before we all head out to the beach for a few weeks of well earned relax and vacation! Marco is following up on the prep work that Betta started for the FORTUNATA Italian leather handbags. All the odd sized pieces of leather that are being used for the Fortunata Tote bag are gathered together and then Marco cuts the pattern pieces according to the detailed planning sheet.  He needs to be sure to have had his cup of expresso – because he needs to be wide awake, since the colors can change for every bag he needs to be continuously counting out the pattern pieces and making sure that the colors are all homogeneous when working with a limited amount of Italian leather.

T.G.I.F. at Pierotucci, what’s in production this Friday?

Today we are producing a classic for our Toscanella line, the Italians call it the Vespa Bag but we call it a leather messenger bag, with cross body canvas strap.  Yesterday she worked on the interior of the bag inserting the zipped pocket and the remodelled cell phone holder, now made to hold iPhones and Smart phones.  Below you can see her hammering in the holes for the side panels where the adjustable canvas strap will eventually be attached.  Renza knows she is next in line for our leather seamstress, so she is now connecting the front and back panel to the side panel with our holding glue so that it can sit a bit and them be sewn up by Marina.

This classic messenger bag will then go over to Renato who will sand the edges down and paint them with our signature terracotta colored sealant.  When we go into production with a bag like this we will produce anywhere from 5 – 10 pieces per color.  The Toscanella line highlights seven colors which were inspired by the Tuscan countryside – black, dark brown, tobacco, green, beige, saffron and ivory…and the word is that our designers are looking to add a new color for the 2012 fall season…what color would you like to see

red ?

blue?

or  ???

What’s cooking at Pierotucci Leather Factory today?

Today we have Bev working on the defining stitching on our leather belts. Many times this can be done by a machine but when you are looking for precision we find the best bet is to do it by hand. Bev works these thick pieces of leather with a large needle pulling a long string of a strong sturdy beige colored thread through a series of holes already made in the leather when we cut the strips.
The most difficult part of this work for Bev is that she needs to use a cut of thread that is twice as long as the belt – and since her stature is quite small – it means that the thread is twice as long as she is tall!

Sunsets, Everglades and Campomaggi all seem to have

a feeling of comfortable relax or at least that is how I see it when I put them together.  When I came to Pierotucci in Italy from my home in Florida, if anyone ever asked me if I missed the beach I had to say not really – beaches you can find anywhere . . . maybe not all as beautiful as those in Miami and the Caribbean but….

If I were to pinpoint what I missed the most (besides my fantastic family  )it would be the sunsets and the Everglades.  We would always laugh in my family because even if we just came out of one of South Florida’s infamous afternoon thunderstorms, you could always count on a sunset.

And as many times as I have been to the Everglades, I always found it fascinating  . . . well except for the enormous mosquitoes, they were just plain annoying!  Those huge expanses of sawgrass reeds and the wooden board walks that were made to carry you into the depths of alligator land, I always found it to be quite unique and relaxing.

And when I think of  the Campomaggi bags, with their washed leather and distinct vintage look I get the same relaxed feeling.

A walk in the wilderness by naturalitalianwoman featuring a Campomaggi Cross Body with adjustable strap and exterior pockets

Band of Outsiders check shirt / Cuffed pants / n.d.c. n.d.c shoes / Beauty product / Campomaggi Cross Body with adjustable strap and exterior pockets / Toscanella Cuoio Leather Belt with silver colored buckle, 4 cm wide / Nomination Bracelet, style BOND stainless steel with geometric charms

Exotic Voyage with Braccialini

The Italians have a saying, il mondo è bello perch’è varia.

The world is beautiful because of all the differences.

I believe that Braccialini designer Italian handbags embraces this thought and turns it into hobo bags, tote bags and ladies handbags.  Braccialini handbag and ladies accessories always work around a theme and the newest addition we have is designed to evoke a feeling of traveling the twisting, curving roads or exotic spices and flavors with its bright colors, sparkles and glam.

The ladies designer handbag with gold leather top handles is a perfect example of using an accessory to create a look – just imagine this flashy ladies handbag with its patchwork of provacatic colors paired up with a pair of jeans, a button up white shirt and a blazer…

Exotic Travels by naturalitalianwoman featuring Braccialini, MADRAS collection Ladies red and gold designer handbag

Giada Forte woven shirt, €275 / ONLY blazer / J Brand cigarette jeans / Pour La Victoire strappy sandals / David Yurman perfume / Braccialini, MADRAS collection Ladies red and gold designer handbag

What’s up at Pierotucci in Tuscany Italy?

More and more Italian leather handbags! Actually we have Daniella finishing up these Toscanella hobo bags with the final touch, the double rolled leather top handles. She spent the morning making the handles which consist of a plastic tube with a piece of leather wrapped around it and then sewn secure.


When she connects these handles to the bag she first examins the handles to find two which are almost identical in color, then matches the handles against the Italian leather part of the bag.  Once she finds a good match she will secure the handles in place with our holding glue and then pass it over to Marina who will stitch them firmly into place on the Italian leather handbag.  Afterwards the bag comes back to Daniella so she  can insert the traditional striped lining in 100% cotton and for one last time it will go to Marina in order to complete the top stitching which keeps the lining attached to the hobo bag.

When at last it returns to Daniella, it is her job to hand stitch the final touches to the handle in order to give it that top quality look that we are so proud of !

Pierotucci Italian Leather Factory production update

Just as I promised, we are checking back in with a few photos of how this bag finished up the afternoon.  As you can see Renza finished with the lining, and moved on to put the front and back panels together.  Anyone who sews, knows how difficult it can be to keep the edges matched up and to make sure the seams meet straight on – so in order to help our seamstress we use a potent glue that not only helps the sewing to go smoothly but adds strength to the seams making it a study bag.

Once the seams have been sewn together the bag is passed over to Renato who smooths down the edges and the paints them with a terracotta color to add “personality to the bag” but more importantly to help protect the leather from absorbing too much humidity, keeping it safe from the elements.  In the meantime Renza has prepared the handles, and as soon as the Italian leather handbag and paint are drive she will put them together.

 

 

What’s coming out of Pierotucci today in windy Tuscany?

Renza started working on these adorable mini Italian leather handbags yesterday evening, she started by prepping the zip pulls and sewing the the top zip on to the front and back panel. Today she will finish these little guys up so that they can be put into the store tomorrow morning. She is setting the glue to the panels that will hold the (silver) lining in place on this Toscanella top zip mini hobo bag as the components of the bag are assembled.

Then before she can go any further these pieces are sent over to Marina who will secure the lining with a perfect row of stitches…note as I update you during the day on this bags progress, how many times she will take this in hand – yet you will never be able to find the first stitch on this mini Italian leather hobo bag.

What’s cooking today at Pierotucci Leather Factory in Tuscany Italy?

Daniela is working our first line of quality control on one of our Italian leather hobo bags made from a mix of vegetable tanned vachetta leather and a sturdy suede like canvas in shades of taupe. The mix between canvas and leather, offers a lightweight yet artisanal alternative to an all Italian leather handbag.

As this Canvas and Leather hobo bag  from our Toscanella line, goes through each phase of production it is carefully examined to catch any stray threads or double stitching.  Before passing on to the next phase each piece will be inspected and all extra threads will be meticulously cut or pulled out so that the final product will have a smooth flow.  In fact, if you examine a top quality Italian leather handbag you will not be able to tell where the first stitch initiated, because an expert seamstress will be able to hide it well!

No matter what they say, Campomaggi isn’t just for men anymore!

And we got the washed Italian leather bags to prove it!

Out of the five new models that have been added to the Pierotucci Campomaggi Collection, there is one of them that would definitely stand out in a crowd ladies.  This versatile clutch bag has an adjustable / removeable shoulder strap that can be shorten to three different lengths – without a buckle.  Marco Campomaggi was ingenious with this clip that makes up part of the design of the bag yet is functional as well.

But the pièce de résistance would be the decoractive semi polished stone securely embedded to on the front flap.  The texture and contour of the stone compliment the rugged washed leather, yet seem to soften it and give it just the right amount of a woman’s touch.

Not too large and heavy, like many of the Campomaggi bags, this cross body clutch will be just enough to carry the essentials while travelling, going out at night or even a casual event.  There is a secure magnetic snap closure plus a top zip so even if you are the adventurous or active type, you won’t have to worry about losing your “stuff” along the way.

Give us some feed back, what do you think of our newest addition?