I would definitely recommend velveteen.

A couple buddies and I build tables on the side, and we use velveteen for our tables. We've sold around 250 tables and everyone loves the surface, and as of yet we've never heard a bad thing back about it.

It is a KILLER surface. Its extremely durable, doesn't pill, is really easy to work with, and has extremely vibrant color that won't fade or wear on you.

We can't believe that you can go into some high-end furniture/recreation store and buy a table for 1500 with no padded playing surface and the sh*ttiest felt on the face of the planet that pills and wears like crazy.

We used to just pick it up from a fabric store, but the color selection was limited and it would pill the first couple uses while getting broken in, so we get it online now. Higher quality stuff for cheaper. If you'd like, I can ask my buddy where we get it from online and get back to you.