The incredible adjusting strap.

I know you all find it hard to believe that I am still in school so here is the proof. Last week I was at Lineapelle in Bologna doing leather research and meeting with tanneries while school was closed for Easter break. I am finally beginning to have more flexibility in selecting the styles I want to produce, so this week I chose something more "morbido," soft, which is more casual and closer to my personal style. For those of you who cannot bear to hear one more technical detail... scroll to the bottom now.

I made a zippered inside pocket using a different technique from the previous styles. Since this bag has a little less structure, the pocket is looser and hangs in the lining instead of being right up against the backside of the bag.

Believe it or not, I did this (what looks like a very simple piece) three times to get it right. First I glue down the lampo, zipper, to the "marmo," marble, in order to make sure it is taught before I attach it to the "fodera," lining. Then I attach a piece of Salpa 6 (the yellow rectangular shape on the top) and wrap the edges of the fodera around from the other side to create a finished edge. The zipper is then inserted into that space, and I take it to the sewing machine to stitch it down... 

You don't need me to tell you what happens next. Twice. That zipper foot was slipping and sliding all over the zipper so I taught myself a new way of sewing to get this done properly: cucire senza guida: sewing without the guide. For those of you who are sewing machine friendly don't think I gave up all hope. I reversed the stitch direction and used the foot as a guide instead of the actual guide. For those of you who have no idea what I'm talking about, just know that I succeeded in doing it properly. 

This is the inside of the bag before inserting the lining. I put in an additional layer of "cartone nero fine," fine black paper, to give it more structure on the backside. Although this was not on the original pattern, adjustments like these are often made in the bag-making process. Details such as this depend on the type of skin being used for the bag, so it is not necessarily a universal component that would be included on the pattern.My favorite part of this bag is the strap. I made it adjustable, so it can be worn on the shoulder or slung across the body in a messenger style. When it is fully extended, the snaps hold it in place in the center. When I slide it to make it half it's full length, the snaps attach at either end. If this sounds confusing, there are visuals at the bottom.This is snap application 101. First I punch holes in the strap that correspond in size to the particular part of the snap (we refer to them as the female or masculine part), and then the pieces are inserted into their respective positions in this vice. The small bronze canister-looking components are different measurements and depend on the size of the part of the snap you are inserting. When I turn the handle, the vice squeezes them into place.
My sewing is getting better by the day... although it's still not quite perfect. Don't be fooled - there is a reason you can only see one side of this strap! Just kidding, I did a pretty good job with this one. I think I was just having a series of good days and some quality sleep.The interior features two open pockets and the zippered pocket against the back.

 The finished product against the stunning backdrop of my glue-filled apron.

I am willing to put these photos up to emphasize how cool I think the strap is. As my Italian friends would say, "sono secchione." Another Tuscan phrase I picked up from my friends. Ask me later what it means. 

Stay tuned... Next week I choose the style of bag I want to create from start to finish. I will create the pattern from scratch, select all leather, lining and hardware, and make the bag. 

Also coming soon: vita pelle in italiano.

Montepulciano

Montepulciano, home to my favorite wine in the entire world, Nobile di Montepulciano.

I hope that you all have the opportunity to visit a place about which you've read, talked and dreamt for as long as you can remember. Although I only recently acquired a mature taste and appreciation for wine, it did not take me long to figure out that Montepulciano was on the top of my list.

 About an hour and a half drive from Firenze, situated in the province of Siena, it is a medieval Renaissance city filled with winding roads and alleyways with views like these at the end of every path.

 The main street that runs through the entire length of the town is only 1.5 kilometers long.

They crammed a lot into 1.5km, and as you can see it's not just about the wine. We found surprises such as these around every corner.

Okay, I lied, it really is all about the wine. These are the remnants of my first tasting at Cantina Crociani, featuring from left to right: 

Vino Rosso di Montepulciano, 2007; Vino Nobile di Montepulciano 2006; Vino Nobile di Montepulciano Riserva 2005; and "Il Segreto di Giorgio". "Il Segreto di Giorgio" is, as the name suggests, a secret concoction of the owner of the Cantina, and each bottle is numbered. 

My entry in the guestbook: "Saluti a NY dove si pagano $15 per un bichierre di Montepulciano," that's "Cheers to NY, where we pay $15 for a glass of Montepulciano".

We took a short walk to our second tasting at Cantina Contucci, where I tasted four vino nobile, "buono, meglio, ottimo, and the best". 

Of course we did not leave here without making friends. First of all, our new friend "Adamo," the owner, who reminds me of my dad, and is famous in America after being featured on PBS for a documentary on Montepulciano. Of course when he told me this, I replied with, "I am famous in Italia for my appearance on Rai Due," which I hope all of you have seen by now. There was a group of Italians from Firenze there tasting at the same time, they are the largest suppliers of mozzarella di bufala in Tuscany. They supply the cheese to Pizzaiolo, one of the best pizza places in Firenze which happens to be on my corner.

I am not sure what these numbers mean but I am happy I was looking down at the moment to notice them. This photo is proof that I was not imagining them after tasting all of that wine. It was raining, but it made being inside the wine cellars that much more enjoyable and rewarding.

Do not think for a second that I left empty handed from my

 favorite wine region in the world. The box in my hand contains one Nobile and one Rosso... the other 12 bottles arrived at school yesterday.

The machine ate my bag.

Disclaimer. What you are about to see might disturb you. You are about to see two week's worth of work destroyed in an instant.  Okay, okay, so I am being a little dramatic. It's not as bad as I am making it out to be, but it was pretty devastating when "Acci" the sewing machine ran off course and ate a greater part of two of my latest projects.

I am proud to say, this one survived, unscathed.

These, on the other hand, did not. You can see along the bottom side edge where things went wrong. As I mentioned in an earlier post it is very easy to blame this on the machine, but in reality, it is entirely my fault. All of our work leads up to this one moment when we "tirare," "turn" the bag. You have one chance to do it properly and if you mess it up, the bag is finished, or as I say "mangiato," eaten. The holes are permanent and there is no turning back. The curve where it all went wrong is the most difficult part of the bag to turn. It is literally a physical fight with the machine to get this right. Even though I hammered this area to be as flat as possible before passing through the machine, I am still sewing through two thick layers of leather, "cartone nero," black cardboard, and two layers of "salpa," lining. The needle slipped and went off the edge of the bag... and then I screamed, laughed, and walked outside for a breather.

I should've just told you that the black bags feature my latest signature design detail: multiple rows of stitching. In reality, I decided to use these two bags as samples on which I can practice turning a bag, so I practiced by repeating these stitches. Of course, once the pressure was off, the bag flowed freely through my hands and the second and third rows of stitching are nearly perfect. When you see my creations out there in the world one day and they have four or five rows of stitching, you will know the truth.

Accidenti.

Soovs in the ooza.

I am thinking about writing a book. It will be a book containing phrases that I've learned in conversation that are specific to Tuscany. All regions of Italy have their own sayings, the Milanese will not necessarily understand you if you use a Tuscan phrase. Learning these is fun, but knowing when to use them in conversation is even more fun. When I throw one of these into conversation with my local barista or Florentine friends, you should see the looks on their faces. Some of them are not appropriate for me to post here, in fact when I learn them, I always ask if it is something I can say in school. That's usually the litmus test for how bad the phrase actually is. There are also other words such as "babbo" and "bisnonno" that are used in Tuscany, but recognized by other regions. Florentines say "babbo" for dad and "bisnonno" for great grandfather. While others will understand you, they will immediately you know you are from Tuscany upon hearing them.

Some examples:

"Marpione," describes someone who is trying to swindle you. Can also be used to ward off persistent Italian men. This one has been very, very helpful. In fact I think every American female who plans to travel to Tuscany should learn this word before learning "buongiorno" or even "bagno". 

"Permaloso," a person who is sensitive and offended easily. 

"Polaretto," very cold, literally, like ice. 

The rest of them... well... you might just have to wait for the book.

Those of you who know me well know that Teen Vogue is hands down my favorite publication. You can just imagine what a delight it was for me to come across "Topgirl," the closest thing in Italian. After reading one issue I realized that this is my preferred method of learning slang and conversational Italian, as it addresses topics of conversation you would have with your friends, in the informal way you would be speaking with them.

It came to my attention that the Italians have a very interesting way of pronouncing acronyms. For example, if something is "Made in the USA" they say "ooh-za," and if written it is often seen as "Usa". An S.U.V. is "soov". European Union (Unione Europea) is "ooh-weh". These things make me chuckle every time I hear them. It makes sense to pronounce them this way, however entertaining it may be. If you are mid-sentence trying to describe an S.U.V., it interrupts the flow of speech to stop and pronounce every letter, right? "Soov" flows very nicely from one word to the next. It is my personal mission to incorporate this into the English language so please try it next time you are talking about the gas guzzlers in conversation. Yes. I am in agreement with the Europeans on this, too, we have far too many soovs in the ooza... and it is time for me to learn how to drive a manual car.

Last but not least I wanted to tell you about my encounter with the Questura and the process of receiving my "permesso di soggiorno". Retelling this story might make my blood boil but I am willing to do it for you, my fellow followers, because you need to understand what you are up against with the Italian bureaucracy should you ever try to move here.

First thing to know is that a "permesso di soggiorno," literally, "permit to stay," is required for anyone who is not an E.U. citizen that is planning to stay in the country for more than three months. You must apply for this during your first 8 days in Italia, when your presence is reported to the local "Questura," or police station. If you have been to Italia, you know that all hotels take your passport upon arrival. They do this so your presence is made known to the Questura and they have a record of your entry. To receive the permesso, you must do this (which school did on my behalf) and then submit an application that you receive from the "la Posta," post office, which consists of tables and charts that refer back to tables and charts which lead you to tables and charts of abbreviations. Then you pay 18 Euro to send it... and pray that you receive a confirmation and an appointment.

Much to my surprise, I received a document in the mail confirming an appointment at 8.55AM on April 4th, as well as a text message from the office of foreign affairs telling me when to appear. For a country so antiquated in their ways, I find it so ironic how much they rely on modern technology to get things like this done. This unfortunately was not an indication of the course of events that lay ahead of me. I show up at 7.45AM and take a number, which was A317. At around 10:30, after I had already left to eat breakfast at Snack Bar Anna and pick up a very large stack of magazines, I was called to the window only to receive another number, B87. Apparently the B window is the "permesso di soggiorno" window. There are 16 windows in this place. The best comparison I can give you is the DMV. One of 16 is handling permesso's, and they are averaging one person per hour. At 2PM they decide to take a break and shut the place down, but they will not tell anyone how long they will be gone. Their response was, and I am completely serious, "If we feel like having a quick lunch break we will be back in 10 minutes. If we feel like taking a longer break we will be back in 2 hours." Need I say more?

Finally at 6.30PM (yes, you read correctly, I was going on nearly 10 hours in what now felt like what I imagine an insane asylum would be) B87 appears on the screen. I submit my papers, and the man asks me: "Do you want to remain in Italia, or return to the USA?" Now you all know what my intuitive response would've been, but I thought back to my friend at the Consulate in NY and immediately replied: "I would like to return to my country."  He handed me my papers, and told me I am done, I just need to go to sportello (window) 7 to do my fingerprints. Phew, finally done! Not so much.

Wouldn't you know it, of all 16 windows, none of the fingerprinting machines was working so everyone had to filter to one single window to complete them. This left a few hundred people waiting in an unorganized mass outside of window 7. At this point I was delirious, and I honestly almost left. However I could not have gotten this far in the day and process to turn back now. This experience can be summed up in one word: "assurdo," a word which I heard repeatedly throughout the course of the day. Absurd. But it's over (well, almost). I have my permesso, and I want to fly home to NY just to march myself into the NY Consulate and proudly wave it in that woman's face. I also met some really nice guys while I was waiting... obviously.