Ruffles. Bet you can't use them just once. We've added ruffles to a number of recent projects, and so thought we'd take the time to talk about the accessory that makes our ruffling easier and faster: the Ultimate Ruffler from Janome. This attachment is designed to work with any machine that can accept a snap-on presser foot, which means you don't have to have a Janome. Other machine manufacturers make similar attachments, which work in the same way. It's time to go from flat to frilly.

What is soft, pliable, and waterproof; can withstand fairly high temperatures; and holds up to a lot of use? Like me, your first guess might have been those dang swimming pool noodles you always buy too many of and then never know what to do with once summer is over. But... the real answer is: PUL, polyurethane laminate if you wish to be formal. The broad category refers to any fabric with a polyurethane laminated to a base fabric. Most common is a polyester knit fabric laminated to a thin waterproof, non-breathable polyurethane backing. Originally developed for use in the medical industry, it's very durable and very popular right now for folks making diapers, diaper covers, changing pads, bibs, training pants, and outside the world of babies, it's often used to create reusable sandwich, snack and lunch bags. As with most man-made fabrics, there are some tips and techniques that make sewing with PUL easier.

They're everywhere. Airliners have rivets. The pockets of your Levis® have rivets. Frogs make the sound, "rrriiiiiivvvet." That last example probably isn't applicable, but it kinda makes you wonder, doesn't it? Not only are rivets ubiquitous, they look super professional when used on a sewing project. Rivets also have a very logical purpose: they hold loads of thick layers together at points where it would be impossible to stitch with a sewing machine.

Your project calls for a panel of fabric two or even three times wider than the fabric you bought at the store. No problem. You're going to sew multiple widths together to get the bigger width you need. But you can't just start cutting widths of your fabric. The pattern isn't going to match up and/or your beautiful design motif is going to end up in the wrong place on your project. Instead of wasting expensive fabric through trial and error, you need to figure out your cuts based on the fabric's design repeat.

'Matchmaker, Matchmaker, make me a match,' the girls sang in Fiddler On The Roof . They wanted husbands. But they could just as well have been singing about matching up both sides of a seam when goes through the middle of a design. Both kinds of matches can be tricky to pull off. And even worse, they're obvious to everybody when not done correctly.

For some sewing applications, there's nothing that works quite as well as a metal snap. They're easier to use than buttons and more durable than Velcro. That's why they're used in everything from mountain climbing jackets, to yacht covers, to baby clothes. Just think how long it would take an NBA player to jump up from the bench and get into the game, if he didn't have "quick release" sweat pants with snaps running up both sides. He'd probably fall into the stands trying to pull his sweats off over those big shoes. Installing snaps is pretty simple. You just take a series of tiny metal rings (which can be set up twenty wrong ways and only one right way) line them up within a millimeter of perfection, and then crush the whole assemblage together as hard as you can through several layers of fabric. What could possibly go wrong?

I call it, 'The Great Divide.' Your window valance needs to be 82" wide, but your home decor fabric is only 54" wide. If you just sew an additional 28" onto one side, that'll make the fabric's design repeat look totally wacky. So... do you put off sewing the valance until they come out with 82" wide fabric? No, because then you'd also have to give up sewing duvet covers, curtains, slip covers and anything else requiring fabric wider than what comes off the bolt. It's time to ask our friend, and home décor expert, Donna Babylon. She explains that when you join fabric widths to make an extra wide panel, you need to make sure it's added to either side of the center fabric piece and it's done symmetrically – the same on both sides of the center point.

It's something you might not have noticed until you started sewing. The pattern on a printed fabric is not always lined up with the grain of the fabric (the up-and-down and side-to-side direction of the thread -- the warp and weft). Back when all patterns were woven into fabrics this wasn't a problem because the weave was the pattern. But now with most patterns being printed onto the fabric after it's woven, the 'registration' can be off a little. Or a lot. And that can wreak havoc with your sewing.

The bobbin on your sewing machine provides the lower thread supply, allowing your machine to form stitches. Needless to say, if your bobbin isn't set up properly, your machine won't work.

One of the most common questions we get here at Sew4Home is how to measure for different projects. In particular, we had a number of folks who wanted to know an easy way to measure and make a simple ROUND tablecloth. Rather than go round-and-round with it ourselves, we turned to our friend and home décor expert, Donna Babylon for a few of her professional tips.

Sewing on buttons by hand is one of my least favorite tasks. But, I LOVE using buttons on my projects. I had a dilemma. That's why I was so excited when I learned how easy it is to sew buttons using my sewing machine – and you don't need a fancy one to do it. As long as your sewing machine can do a zigzag stitch, and the feed dogs can be lowered, you can sew on buttons galore by machine!

After covering this plain mat with a scrap of the stunning French General Rounneries Oiseaux Bird Roche fabric used in our French Desk Set, we gave it a vintage feel with a few bits of trim and one cute flea market button. Including repainting the frame, this project took 30 minutes.

When I started sewing, zippers scared the bejeezus out of me. I went to great lengths to avoid them. Even tried to bribe a friend of mine to put in my zippers (she refused). I finally faced my fears, and just like tall bridges and spotted dogs (don't ask), they turned out not to be scary at all. My next therapy session: concealed or invisible zippers. Sure enough .... they're actually even easier than a regular zipper. I wonder if there's hope for conquering spiders, snakes and giant zucchinis?

You've seen grommets many times: on apparel, bags, athletic gear, etc. They're those metal circles with some type of rope or cording woven through at a closure point. Well...things are beginning to change in the world of grommets (bet you didn't know there was a world of grommets ... did ya?!). Dritz® Home has a great product available for home décor enthusiasts, snap-on Curtain Grommets. Fast, fashionable and functional.

We have several projects coming up that require cutting large panels of fabrics for curtains. When you're short on space, this can be a bit of a challenge. So here's a little folding-and-cutting trick to make it easier, faster, more compact ... and actually, more precise. Remember making paper snowflakes as a kid? You fold, fold, fold, and then cut, cut, cut. Same basic concept, but without the swiss cheese effect. Grab your rotary cutter and mat and let's slice!

Bring up ruching outside of sewing circles, and you may receive a 'gesundheit' or two. But sewing enthusiasts know ruching is a great technique to use when adding decorative effects to your sewing projects. In French, a ruche is a ruffle or a pleat. And that's pretty much what it means in English too. But everything sounds so much fancier in French. Our tutorial shows you a basic way to create strips of ruching by machine.

Sewing is an inherently creative activity. You take thread and fabric and create something new from it. There are times, though, when perfectly hidden seams and sharp corners seem limiting and you have the urge to just throw some color or a cute drawing on top and call it good. Enter Appliqué ! Appliqué is sort of like the construction-paper-craft-zone of the sewing world. This technique allows you to cut out any shape and stitch it on top of another fabric. You want a bumblebee on your pillow? No problem! Can't find a good fabric with a spaceship for that duvet cover (and don't you hate how hard it is to find a good spaceship)? Appliqué one! With appliqué, you're free to incorporate any kind of graphic into your project. There are a variety of different ways to execute this technique; read on to find the one that's right for you.

You were so impressed when your dealer mentioned your new sewing machine could do 60 decorative stitches. Though still impressed, now you're wondering how to put them to use. We were hoping you would ask.

This is a technique we've used in several tutorials, and it's been so popular, we thought it should be its very own project so you can refer to it whenever you need it. It's a great way to finish the edge of a blanket, a table runner, a wall hanging – just about any flat square or rectangle. Admit it ... you rubbed that satin blanket binding on your cheek and sucked your thumb, didn't you? Oh, wait, that was me. The technique takes a little practice, because you have to make sure you are catching both sides of the binding as you stitch. But I have great confidence in you, and I know you'll be binding everything in site in no time.

One night at the dinner table my young nephew told his parents that his friend, we'll call her 'Janie' was "The F Word". Alarmed, his parents pressed him to explain himself and he answered, "You know; Fussy, Fussy, Fussy." Well... we can't blame a girl for knowing what she wants! This same idea is at the heart of Fussy Cutting fabric – you cut away the parts of the fabric you don't want in order to isolate a specific motif. Often you use this motif as an appliqué design, but you can also use a template in conjunction with fussy cutting to create fabric cuts that feature your selected design(s) centered exactly where you want them. When these pieces are sewn into place, the motifs are positioned for the most dramatic results, such as the center of a pillow or placemat.

I had to bring in the big guns for this project as my own 'power tool' experience leans more towards sewing machines than drills. So, I asked my husband Bob (who is always a good sport and really tall) to bring his years of experience as a builder to the table to show you how to install this very cool cable wire system. It's a great option for hanging lightweight, decorative curtains, which add height and drama to our Pretty Prints Teen Room. This type of system would also work well to create a room divider or even to hang a curtain for an especially long run of windows.

Inserting a zipper into a project is a skill that, once learned, will always serve you well. It really opens up design possibilities in your sewing. Plus, most people believe inserting a zipper is super hard, maybe even a little magical, so they'll be incredibly impressed when they see the pillow you made has a zip closure. Truth is, sewing a zipper is pretty basic stuff. And, it's one of those projects that comes with an 'Aha moment' – opening the zipper you've just sewn into a project is like opening a treasure chest. Okay, maybe it's a bit less dramatic, because I have never found gold pirate doubloons inside my pillows. But the sense of accomplishment is still really great!

In college, I once push-pinned a sheet over my apartment's bedroom window and held it open when needed with a binder clip from my economics notebook. At the time, I thought this was quite inventive. Ugly, but inventive. I'm sure my landlord adored all those tiny tack holes in the molding. Now, I prefer beautiful curtains and shades, and I make sure to measure precisely to get just the look I want.

Finishing the corners when you're making a narrow hem can be a challenge. Making a perfect 90˚ fold at each corner is one option, and often will work just fine. However, it can be tough to keep your raw edges tucked in, and bulky or slippery fabrics can cause you fits. Instead, try our Quick Tip: nine, simple steps to a clean finished corner.