It's a good thing Sew4Home doesn't feature any audio feeds or you'd have to put up with me singing Katy Perry's Hot N Cold while you read this article. Lucky for you ... and most of the planet, we'll skip the singing and instead concentrate on a few facts about the available thermal material options for home décor.

A white tablecloth floats silently onto the antique rosewood dining table like a wintery blanket of freshly fallen snow. Topped with sparking china, spotless crystal and polished sterling, it becomes the pristine foundation for a magnificent holiday feast. And then... the doorbell rings. Hello, stains!

There are so many talented fabric designers creating beautifully harmonious collections, mixing prints has become a snap. They've done the work for us. For most of our S4H projects, we've stuck fairly closely with one designer's collection, because possibilities are nearly endless, and a satisfying result is all but guaranteed. For our Pretty Prints Please projects, however, we used NINE prints, each from a different fabric collection. Here's how we did it, plus a few tips on mixing it up.

I can't even begin to guess how many different fabrics there are in the world. Of course, any fabric can be used by itself, but fantastic results can be achieved by mixing different patterns and colors together. Now, if that seems out of your comfort zone, here's a tip: the easiest way to start mixing patterns is to choose from a fabric designer's collection made specifically for mixing. You'll look like a pro on day one!

If you think Jacquard, Soutache and Gimp sound like the crew of a pirate ship, you're not alone. Just about everybody who's new to home decor finds the names of sewing trims a little odd at first. But once you get familiar with them you'll want to use them to make your finished projects look terrific.

When it comes to home decor, many people are very wary of navigating beyond neutrals. But the number one trick to giving your home-made home decor a designer flair is the proper mixture of color, pattern and texture in the fabrics you select.

Shopping for fabric can be overwhelming. There are so many different colors and types of fabrics available, and the prices can range from a few dollars a yard to over one hundred. Home decor fabrics tend to be more expensive, so you want to be happy with what you select. Following a few basic guidelines will help you in your selection process.