The Modus Operandi: Closing the Wells Briefcase
Over the past few days, our artisans have been creating a collection of Wells Briefcases in the Lotuff studio. Today they’re being completed, and the last stop before these briefcases are ready to head out the door is closing. This may sound like something fast and effortless; after all, the bag itself is already as close to being done as it can be. Closing stitches give the Wells and every other design a completed framework, though, and for this reason, they’re just as important as any other step.
To close the Wells, the last few visible stitches are sewn onto the briefcase’s exterior in order to fully seal it shut. Performed using a slightly contrasting thread, they serve to highlight the sharp and aerodynamic look of this style through creating visible lines and curves. This is fairly tough to do in and of itself, but it’s also compounded by the pressure to attain perfection: the hard work of numerous other artisans is riding on this one act, and if any errors are made, that work might be invalidated.
Once the closing work is finished, there’s a definite feeling of accomplishment in knowing that each bag bag is ready to be wrapped up and sent out to its new home. Cutting, splitting, laminating, buffing, painting, and, finally, stitching have all led up to this point, and after all this, we’re ready to start over on a round of something new. Read on next week to see what we’re beginning on Monday!