From Paper Pattern to the Last Stitch

A Poelle bag does not come off a production line. It is put together by artisans who know every seam. Here are the seven steps every one of our bags goes through, from paper to box.

1. The pattern

It all starts with a pattern. For every part of a bag, the atelier makes a pattern piece: an exact template the leather is later cut to. The patterns are made right here in the atelier, at the pattern table.

2. Cutting

Natural leather and natural suede are cut to the patterns. The parts are cut at the cutting table or on a die-cutting press. One of our models, Untitled in Olive, is natural leather with a patent finish; at home, too, we suggest keeping it apart from other bags.

3. Skiving

Before the parts are stitched, their edges are thinned on a skiving machine. That lets the leather fold neatly, so the seam lies flat and does not get bulky where several layers meet.

4. Stitching

Then the parts are stitched on the machines. We make in small batches, without overproduction, so every bag passes through the same few pairs of hands.

5. The edges

After stitching, the edges are finished. They are what you see every day: the edge of a handle under your fingers, the rim of a flap, the line that holds the silhouette. This work decides how clean a bag looks up close, so in the final check we look at the edges on their own.

6. Lining and hardware

Inside is a lining of eco-leather or textile. The hardware is gold-tone metal. The exact materials, dimensions in centimeters and inches, and weight of each model are on its product page under Specifications and Materials.

7. The last look

We check every finished bag by hand: the seams, the edges, the hardware, how it opens and closes, how it sits in the hand, how the clasp sounds. And before a new model goes on sale at all, we wear it ourselves, every day.

Then the bag is packed. A care guide comes in the box with every bag. The main points are simple: between outings, fill the bag with tissue paper, keep it standing in its dust bag, and do not leave it hanging by the handles for long. That way the body keeps the shape the atelier gave it for longer.

Under one roof

All seven steps happen in our atelier in Horodok, Ukraine. From the first pattern to the finished bag, a piece never leaves the atelier, so we answer for each stage ourselves. When a color or size is not in stock, the atelier makes the bag for you: made-to-order pieces take 10–15 business days, or until the date shown on the product page, before they ship. Every bag has a one-year warranty from the day of delivery. There is more on our Atelier page, and every bag is in All bags.