My mother, who left us in 2010, was happiest when busy sewing. When she started making potholders, we all encouraged it. I bought the snazziest fabrics I could find: peppers, apples, flowers, windmills, etc. She got excited with every new fabric. We ordered the heaviest weight cotton batting that Hancocks-Paducah sold. I think it was Deluxe Dream Cotton. She used a layer of that, plus a layer of a thinner cotton batting that could be bought locally. We didn't like the "feel" of Insul-Brite. We sold a bunch of potholders at $4-$5.
When she died at 92, Mama left us a supply of good-feeling potholders. Nice inheritance!