The only mat I own is 12 x 18. I wish it were bigger some days but it always gets the job done and would be great to transport.
I have basic Fiskar sewing scissors. I'm sure there are much better ones available, but I didn't want to make a huge investment until I found out if I would stick with quilting or not. So far, so good. Quilt #3 is ready to be sandwiched tomorrow and Quilt #4 is about half pieced.