I have found that the more space, the better. I use two banquet tables on bed risers to bring them up to a comfortable height. I have my 24x36 mat on one and it then leaves plenty of room for scissors, cutters, rulers, etc. It's also great space for sandwiching my quilts. I have ironing space on the other table, on which I have a 2x4 sheet of plywood covered with foam and layers of muslin on top. I like that so much better than an ironing board.