peaceandjoy, when i made my big board i pulled that muslin soooo tight my nails almost came out of my fingers. actually, my husband and i pulled with clamps and stapled as we went. i think the answer lies in better muslin. and i think two layers. i have a small, hard pressing board for blocks that has a handle and i hang that up when not in use. that one is about 20 x 20. i use the big one for garment pressing and whole top pressing. and piling junk on.
i'm now on the hunt for another dresser that's 30" across and has good drawers. in my town, people put out furniture they don't want the day before trash pick-up, so 'cruisers' can 'find' what they need. sooner or later i will have a dresser for free, scrub it, paint it, and fill it with more something or other. that way, i can replace some of the smaller cubbies and have more usable storage space. if you paint everything white, it takes up less space, right?