That vinyl practice idea is very clever, Fabric Galore! It's perfect for learning the route of new quilting design. The one thing it doesn't really include is the whole stitch length issue of coordinating your hand speed with the needle/foot pedal speed. For cheap practice that includes stitch length, I learned here on the forum the trick of using paper towels instead of a quilt sandwich. I find the the store brand version of the Bounty quality paper towels (rather than the cheapest and thinnest ones that are much more papery) handle a lot like cloth. I'll often draw out a design on the paper towels and then practice stitching it. (I use my drawing as a general guide line, not really trying to stay exactly on the lines.) I like being able to practice without having fabric and batting go to waste.