Thanks, I am married to a farmer hence the name!
I got my mat at Joann's. They are rolled up in the store so it takes a little to get it to lay flat but it works fine for me! I am with you on the learning end, I have only had my longarm for 2 years now. Like some of the others, I pretty much just jumped into doing quilts right away. I gave my customers a good price so that they wouldn't mind if I practiced on their quilts. Still can't seem to master the perfection that I see in the quilts that I admire! Keep having to remind myself to give it time!