I bought an inexpensive flannel backed plastic table cloth. It worked great but then one of my quilting buddies purchased a Fons and Porter design cloth. It is really nice. It has a 2 inch grid which makes it easier to know how large/small your quilt is working out to size. Since I am not a pattern lover, but rather a free spirit designer, I needed something/place to put my
"creation" where I could stand back and look at it. The Fons and Porter cloth is expensive and works well, but the inexpensive flannel backed table cloth worked just as well.