Originally Posted by Texas Yankee
Great Idea !! And great job!!! I have 1 question though - why did you pad it with the quilt batting? Wouldn't it work better if it was a firm surface for you to be moving it around during the quilting process?
I do like the idea of the clear vinyl as the top layer though.
The wood I used was unfinished and, even though I used the palm sander on the edges and corners, I was concerned that the wood would snag or poke through my fabric. The vinyl would have protected my quilt from snags, but I just preferred the padded look. The batting was 80/20 which didn't add much loft and since I put the fabric and vinyl on tight, it isn't overly padded. To sum it up, it was mostly for asthetics.
If you use a smoother wood or took the time to sand well, you could leave the batting out. However, if you do, you will want to measure really carefully or round your edges really well next to the machine to prevent having a lip that might make it harder to move the quilt around.