Men Who Sew

I really like Judith Weller's statue of a Jewish tailor at a sewing machine. I must have passed by it a million times while I lived in NY. I moved there in 1986, and this was made 1984. He always seemed so peaceful sewing there while everyone rushed around him. I think I have a photo of him with a pigeon on his head somewhere. When I think about it, my experience with men who sewed began with the guys who I went to college with. I don't recall a single fellow classmate in my middle school home ec class. None of the men in my family sewed.

I asked my husband this weekend if he would like me to teach him to sew. He answered no a bit quickly for my liking, and when I pressed him as to why he told me that he didn't have time nor would he know what to make. And why is a man traditionally called a tailor and a woman a seamstress? Do we say seamster? I've never used that term. I've read sewist a few times lately. Is that even a word? This week is dedicated to men who sew. I am looking forward to what I find out.

P.S. Anyone want to take a guess what kind of machine our statue tailor is sewing on? I may need to write to the artist to find out.