Tailors - How did they live and work?

[PaulaToo]

It does tend to get handed down the family, Stephen.
Grandfather William Stephens Mathias was a tailor, Mother was a tailoress, I was a tailoress....tailors chalk in the blood, not coal dust.

[sallysmum]

But ....

I've still not found out why they sat cross legged on the floor or table 

Any ideas ?

Bev

Afraid I don't know why they sat cross legged, but the practice did give it's name to a foot deformity - tailors bunion.  We normally think of bunions being the distortion of the joint around the big toe joint.  A tailors bunion is the distortion of the small toe joint - caused by the pressure of the foot sitting crossed legged on the floor!

Sallysmum

I also have a master tailor in my family - I like to think that this is where I have inherited my dress making skills!

[DebbieG]

Hi - I have several tailors & dressmakers on both sides of my family (and yes I earn my living in a similar way) the earliest - James Payton born 1777, was a tailor and umbrella maker, his son James Horwood Payton was a tailor and innkeeper, it seems that tailoring alone was difficult to make a living at. 
On a historical note I  believe that tailors sat crosslegged on tables, not the floor,  the reason being that in the past windows were quite small and to get the best light the table was pushed up to the window and the tailor sat on it - the most comfortable way to sit on a table in this fashion is cross legged - I am not sure where I got this from I just seem to have always known it !

Debbie

[Bev Duckworth]

Interesting about the tailor's bunion Sallysmum - but a little unpleasant especially given how infrequently they would have washed their feet and clothes 

Debbie - I'd never thought of the lighting situation so it makes sense that they would have pushed the table to the window.
I guess windows must also have been relatively high and therefore sitting on a chair sat at the table under the window wasn't so effective. I wonder how often they cleaned the windows 

Bev

[PaulaToo]

There isn't much room for your arms to work if you have a big heavy garment on a table and are sitting down. I found it's better standing, or having it in your lap.

[Pegasuss]

There isn't much room for your arms to work if you have a big heavy garment on a table and are sitting down. I found it's better standing, or having it in your lap.

So Did My Mother! (when making Dresses for My Sisters & others)

[yn9man]

Afraid I don't know why they sat cross legged, but the practice did give it's name to a foot deformity - tailors bunion. We normally think of bunions being the distortion of the joint around the big toe joint. A tailors bunion is the distortion of the small toe joint - caused by the pressure of the foot sitting crossed legged on the floor!

Sallysmum

Interesting item about the tailor's bunion. Must have been quite painful or at least uncomfortable. 

As of now, I can only find two tailors in my family. Thats probably why I can't sew. I know blame it on the relatives ...

yn9man

[KathMc]

I am going to have to ask my one relative what he knows about the daily life of our shared tailor ancestor. It has been so fascinating reading through all of this. I have one picture of him (my ggg grandfather) and he looks so...I don't know. I just can't see him sitting crossed-legged on a table. That's a picture I would love.

Kath

[yn9man]

Bev -

Who knew when this thread started how interesting it would become. Thanks again for starting. Fascinating to read and interesting stories by fellow Rootschatters.

yn9man