Source: China News Network
Guiyang, China News Network, April 1 Title: One Needle and One Thread Casts the Spirit of Craftsmanship: Visiting the Story Behind the Sixty-Year-Old Tailor's Career for 40 Years
Journalist Pu Wensi
In a tailor shop of less than 6 square meters, Zhang Huaiyou, who is more than 60 years old, is sitting in front of an old-fashioned sewing machine, busy changing the size of a leather coat, only to see that he is skillful, pushing his hands back and forth, and the corners of the clothes are gradually taking shape... With forty years of old craftsmanship, it has been affirmed and appreciated by the neighbors. The reporter recently came to Zhang Huaiyou's shop in Huaxi District, Guiyang City, and listened to him tell the story behind the forty years of adhering to the tailoring craft.
The picture shows Zhang Huaiyou sitting in front of a sewing machine to modify his clothes. Photo by Pu Wensi
Zhang Huaiyou, 67, a native of Chongqing's Zhong County, learned his craft from an old local tailor in 1970 at the age of 16 to make a living. "At that time, the tailoring craft was very popular, like when we were learning art, it was very 'pretty', in that era, basically the guests bought all the cloth in the house, and then the guests asked us to bring the machine to the house to do door-to-door work." At that time, it was mainly for parents and Zhongshan suits. To this day, Zhang Huaiyou still clearly remembers the scene of the tailoring industry at that time.
The picture shows Zhang Huaiyou cutting a suit. Photo by Pu Wensi
After two years of hard study, Zhang Huaiyou has mastered the tailoring craft. In 1980, on the recommendation of a friend, Zhang Huaiyou left his hometown and went to Guiyang alone. At first, Zhang Huaiyou mainly set up temporary stalls to pick up guests' cloth processing, with excellent craftsmanship and affordable prices, soon won the trust of customers and opened up the market.
The picture shows Zhang Huaiyou's tailor shop located in the street alley. Photo by Pu Wensi
With more and more processing orders, Zhang Huaiyou thought about opening a tailor shop, and in the 1990s, he began to order fabrics from Zhanjiang, Guangdong Province, to make clothes to order, ushering in the peak of his career. "At the peak of my life, I took four or five apprentices with me and asked my master to do it at home. A month to do down the income of a few hundred dollars. ”
With the development of the times, department stores, all kinds of clothing stores, online stores began to rise, the old sewing shops were inevitably impacted, Zhang Huaiyou's business from the original main custom clothing, to change the zipper, cut the pants, sew the pants, modify the size of the clothing and other trivial work... In the face of such changes, Zhang Huaiyou had a peaceful attitude.
The picture shows Zhang Huaiyou cutting a leather coat that a customer has brought to the store to modify. Photo by Pu Wensi
"The tailor's craft must still be done by someone, but according to the scale and social development." In Zhang Huaiyou's view, as long as you learn a craft, you can learn it well and not worry about development. "Like now through the big factories and formal schools to learn, it is also developing well, such as doing fashion design, working in large factories."
The picture shows Zhang Huaiyou using an electric sewing machine to mend. Photo by Pu Wensi
After decades of making clothes, the original intention has not changed. Over the years, whether it is making clothes or changing clothes, Zhang Huaiyou has knitted ingenuity with a needle and thread on his hands, and many old customers still favor his hand-made clothes, and the clothes that he modified and sewn were also well received by guests. On the day of the interview, the reporter encountered guests who came to Zhang Huaiyou's craft from time to time.
The picture shows Zhang Huaiyou's handmade needle and thread nail buttons. Photo by Pu Wensi
"I've been here three or four times, and the first time I came to him to change his clothes, I saw that he was more exquisite, so I continued to take clothes here to change, and he did it very carefully, and Master Zhang's craftsmanship didn't have to be said." Huang Dajie, a resident who lives near the tailor's shop, praised Zhang Huaiyou's craftsmanship.
Sister Zhuo, who lives in Ganyintang, Nanming District, Guiyang City, was recommended and found Zhang Huaiyou's shop. "I was listening to others, the teacher of this tailor shop in Huaxi changed his clothes very well, I took a special bus today to change a skirt, only this kind of old tailor with a foundation can change it well, and everyone else can't change it well."
The picture shows Zhang Huaiyou measuring the length of pants. Photo by Pu Wensi
Zhang Huaiyou's tailor shop has now become a place for neighbors to stop and chat, and everyone has a sewing patch on weekdays, they are willing to ask him for help, and he always smiles and gets along with everyone. Zhang Huaiyou told reporters that at present, his children have established a family, he and his wife accompany each other, guard this "small world", keep the mark of the times in the needle and thread, and enjoy life.
"If you have to do it, you can do it, and if you don't have to do it, you will put up some dragon gate arrays with your friends in the house." Such a way of life is also endlessly enjoyable. Opening the façade is the time of your own three meals, and you must get up early in the morning to open the door as a kind of exercise. Like we are now more than 60 years old, it is also based on exercise, stepping on this sewing machine at any time, you can move the meridians. Zhang Huaiyou laughed. (End)