My goodness that Helen is a lucky gal. Don't you wish you'd get a new sewing machine for Christmas? If only you had a swell guy like Stephen around!
Oh and don't worry.."Young Stephen is so accustomed to the whir of the sewing machine that he pays no more attention to it than he does to the vacuum cleaner."



"Helen and Stephen F. Zelko Of Cleveland, Ohio live in an apartment on the top floor of Steve's parents' home. They did the painting and decorating themselves, and when they were ready to choose curtains. draperies, and slip covers, Helen realized she could save money by making them herself-if only she knew how to sew. She could, of course, take sewing lessons and then rent a sewing machine. But why rent a machine and reduce the saving to be made by home sewing?
Helen Zelko's dilemma was resolved when Steve suggested that she pick out a brand-new modern sewing machine - one that would also be attractive as a piece of living-room furniture-as his Christmas gift last year. Sewing lessons at the store where she bought the machine would be included in the purchase price.
One problem remained for Helen to solve: She had to arrange for someone to take care of young Stephen while she went to her department-store sewing class. His grandparents, who live downstairs, both have daytime jobs, but Helen's mother and several aunts volunteered to baby-sit while she took her lessons. Helen wanted to learn to sew correctly to avoid time-and money-consuming experimenting, and she says she wouldn't have trusted herself to take on so many ambitious home-sewing jobs if she hadn't first learned how to run her machine efficiently."