I've made two. I didn't starch any rows at all or press rows and my rugs are flat. I kept a loose tension and never ever helped the fabric under the needle. I let the machine do the work. Also having a flat surface for the whole rug to lay flat as you sew it bigger is a must. You don't need a pattern. I bought the pattern and it was mostly fluff. I could have written what to do in one paragraph.