I have been making table runners, placemats, etc. for more years than I care to count, and I have always done at least a minimum of quilting because I feel that they look better. I use Warm & Natural cotton batting, which is a fairly low loft batting, and so easy to machine quilt. If I were making pot holders, I would use a thermal batting, like Ther More (sp) batting. I even made a long table runner for my DS and DDIL's credenza, as the heat from their coffee pot was affecting the finish. You don't need to do extensive quilting on these items, just enough to keep them flat. I also "birth" them, so I won't have to add binding, but I stitch about 1/2" on the outside, which imitates binding.