About Erda

Patti welcomes you to Erda Leather...are you having fun yet?!

The talented Erda staff.

Each bag is sewn by one person, from start to finish. Our stitchers are Evelyn (in the picture!), Ann, Carol, Dinah and Wanda.

Here's Brenda, who cuts out each bag, one at a time, by hand, in order to get the best part of the fabric onto the front of your bag!

Brenda does some of the serging, too - all our edges are bound to prevent raveling

Erda is conveniently located in the very middle....of Maine, and of a 3 acre corn field. Erda is about 10 miles from the nearest big town (the sprawling metropolis of Dexter, Maine, 5000 strong, known for Dexter shoes)

At Erda, a jolly group of women collaborates to bring into being the outside-the-box ideas I generate. We've established a distinctive identity by using vivid, texture-rich fabrics, exotic deerskin, and sculptural shapes.

I started making deerskin bags in 1971, at first for myself, then for friends. I was only planning to do it until I figured out what to be when I grew up. I made VERY funky bags, loaded with fringe, beads, and raggedy edges. I had no training, and frankly my bags had almost no construction — they were sorta Abstract Expressionist bags. Some styles, updated, are still available.

Today, I collect intelligence from the press, the net, the cosmopolitan world, and customers, to bring to our shop in Maine, ten miles from the nearest small town. Drawing upon the creativity and skills of the group, we've added structure, zippers, pockets, and functionality that embodies the spirit of Erda in a fresh, up-to-date form.

Our bags are made of American deerskin or contemporary fabrics stolen from the upholstery industry. As you can see, they aren't something you'd picture on your couch, though! All of our handbags are available in any of our standard fabrics or in our recycled fabrics.

About Our Recycled Fabrics
One group of these fabrics is recycled. They were once sample swatches from mills worldwide. We get Jacquards, Chenilles, Tapestries and Hand-Woven looks. We don't usually get more than a yard of any one pattern, often just enough to make one bag! So you can't order specific fabrics, but follow the link above to see how easy it is to order them and get what you want. Or, we can just send an assortment appropriate to the season. If you are not satisfied with the looks, you may return your purchases, ( in new condition of course!) within 30 days. The prices reflect the savings we achieve, even though they may, in fact, be more costly materials than our standard offerings!