I've been making bags for a guild boutique and doing many with vinyl with fabric at the top and bottom. I got the vinyl at Walmart (only place nearby to buy it) and on the roll they had several thicknesses--I choose the middle one. Besides the tissue paper trick, I found using those little clips instead of pins is helpful--no pin holes. I finally figured out that the best way to use my ruler on it was to actually stick the vinyl on the back along a line I wanted, and then place it all on the mat--my rulers would just not move on the vinyl.