In reference to the 'bigger mats' - I can say its great to have a larger work surface for many reasons. I do love my 'white' mat.. ( same color as the one you got from joannes). I have a 28x51 from the sew-fit company and its pliable and a really nice thickness, lil thicker than the joannes one... seems like I can never have enough space when working on a project so the bigger mats come in handy for me..
However Im curious if anyone has bought one of these from Joannes and either love it or hate it.. Im very hard on mats so I need to replace mine but cant seem to find a local store that carries the SEW-FIT brand that im use too.. Opinions anyone??