I do much as Polly V9. I use a foam insulation panel covered with white flannel. I love it and use it daily. When my sewing room loses some furniture, I want to add a second panel so I can do larger work. Aging backs and knees don't like crawling on the floor but these panels can be simple leaned against the wall and are very, very light weight.
We had this conversation at my guild meeting this week. Many of the members use a plastic table cloth that has a flannel back. Lay out the pattern and then it can be rolled up for storage or travel to a quilt work day.