I disagree about the mats. A hard surface mat, the blade rolls on top of it, a soft self healing mat the blade cuts into the mat. I worked in a field where cutting mats were used and they were always hard surfaced. The blades were too expensive to replace and couldn't be resharpened except for scheduled maintenance. A blade should last you a long time if you don't nick it. I have a manual sharpener and I sharpen a sharp blade. I don't wait for it to get dull. If you have the electric sharpener then use it on the sharp blade before you start cutting. If you can, find a quilt shop or guild close to you and let other quilters show you how to use a rotary cutter to get straight cuts.