I have a Fons and Porter's Portable Ironing Pad that I use, plus a counter top ironing board.

I have one of these, but I made a wood board and covered it with a piece of cotton batting and then a piece of duck or canvas. Best board ever. The Pressing sheet slides too much for me when trying to press blocks or pieces of fabric. The board keeps things from slipping and sliding. There are some you tube videos on line that give good tuts on this subject.

Suzy

The owner of our LQS just made an iron carrier. It folds around the iron for transporting and the liner can be used for ironing at class. Really neat!!!

I haven't read all the threads but I have a portable ironing mat. I used it on a machine with a big thick towel underneath - bummer - made a white spot on my sewing machine!!!!! Now I only use a portable ironing surface made from an old square of plywood and covered like an ironing board with shelf liner on the back to prevent slipping.

I have a mini iron board next to my machine with my oliso iron on it and I like it. I don't have to get up if I just want to press some seams in a square. I have my machine and iron and laptop all plugged into a electric strip so when I press the button on the strip everything comes on at once.
I did buy the silver pad at Joann's and I have never used it.
I like my set up so well. Guess I could take it to sewing class sometime but its been in the closet a year or so.
Use a coupon at Joann's if you have one close. If you don't use it for sewing, take it to the ball game and sit on it. I wish you well my friend

We use a potholder by our machines with our mini irons when we paper piece.

This solution worked for me. When my kids were in college I bought them one of those little 3ft. ironingboards that have the four short legs underneath. They used in top of their bed or dresser when they wanted to iron something. (It came back home looking pretty unused, but whatever.) They also had this little cheep end table that was nothing but a 18" top with four little spindle legs. I set the table next to my sewing machine and straddled the ironing board over it. Perfect!!!Six years later, I am finally feeling as if I got my money's worth out of some of the things I got them to go off to school! I am going to have to look around and see what else they brought home and left here for me to "store"!!

I put a thick towel under mine and works great.....did any of you see the one on here while back ...made a iornning table out of a TV wood table and I am going to make me one of those

I have 2 of them - one is 11 x 11
http://www.joann.com/joann/catalog/p...PRODID=prd2765

The other is 12x 18 I think

Never press a quilt block on a soft surface. If the surface is soft the block will sink in and get distorted when pressed. A very hard surface is best for pressing blocks and cut fabric pieces. i use a Steady Betty and it is the best ironing surface I've ever used for pressing blocks.