Stitching is the third step a Lotuff bag goes through on its way through our studio, and right now, it’s the Working Tote’s turn under the sewing machine. Stitching every single part of a bag isn't even completely necessary, as many components are already fused together from prior production stages, but we like to go all in where quality is concerned. Working the machine requires a great deal of training and precision, and seeing as though a bag’s stitching is one of the most immediately visible markers of product quality, it’s imperative that it is done well. 

The Working Tote has particularly visible stitches both inside and out, as its interior is unlined, so making both sides look their best is a must. Part of this even comes down to knots: when stitching is finished on a piece of leather for any bag, a hand-tied knot gets cauterized and pushed back into its hole while still hot. Doing this means the thread seals itself permanently and invisibly inside the leather, adding strength and durability to the bag's structure. 

Every bag contains at least 48 of these knots in addition to five-thread, hand-wrapped edges and countless backstitches into parts of the piece likely to experience strain. Given all this, it’s not tough to see why our artisans have to maintain a state of intense concentration throughout this step- they’re literally bringing life to a bag by bringing it from two dimensions to three.