Canadian House and Home's Senior Design Editor, Sally Armstrong added a pretty dressmaker detail to a plain shower curtain DIY in H&H's August/10 issue. Here's the basic how-to: (Adapted text taken from text written by Kimberley Brown, Photography by Angus Fergusson for Canadian House and Home)

Materials: Plain cotton shower curtain, 2.5 yd. fabric, sewing machine, thread

1. Sew on Valance
Sew an 8" wide valance hemmed along top and bottom and sides. Leave valance unstitched over top of each grommet so shower curtain rings can be fed through holes, which will be hidden by the valance.
2. Gather Fabric into Frills
With pinking shears, cut four strips of fabric that are 3" wide and 6' long. Set the stitch size on the sewing machine to the longest possible length. In the centre of each fabric strip, stitch two rows, 1/4" apart, the full length of the strip. Working from both ends, gently pull each thread until the fabric gathers into a soft ruffle.
3. Sew on Trip
Pin the ruffled fabric onto the shower curtain, spaced about 3" apart. Sew them onto the shower curtain with one line of stitching down the centre of each strip, then pull out the threads previously used to make the fabric into ruffles.

Other tips: Cut out a few steps by getting a seamstress to do the sewing or use store-bought ribbon instead of fabric for a more tailored look.