i have used all kinds of decorative stitches for quilting.I madealog cabin that was all red white and blue and for the quilting i had the words to the star spangled banner used as the quilting(I sent this one to a longarmer)

So nice to hear that the quilt police won't come and get me 'cause I use the decorative stitches on my quilts all the time (the ones I don't tie) I don't know how to FMQ and I find the decorative stitches work just fine for me.

Can you use your walking foot with the decorative stitches? My LQS told me I should only use the straight stitch when using the walking foot.

I can use a decorative stitch with the Elna's walking foot, but I've heard that you can't with some. I didn't need a walking foot when I did the black quilt. I just loosened the pressure on the presser foot a bit. I haven't been able to get to the quilt today. You've all made me want to try the stitch. I will do a little bit with red shiny thread and a little with the red/white varigated and see which I want to use. I'm betting on the solid red.

I have a beautiful scrolly stitch on my Pfaff 2054 (don't know what it is called) but was thinking of doing it in a soft gold stitch on the white sashing around the blocks before quilting. Not edge to edge, but maybe 4" long segments centered in the sashing of each block. Just something different to give it a little lift. It is my first quilt so I didn't get wild with the fabrics. :-)

I love the serpentine stitch & think it would be great. Maybe try it on a scrap & then, pedal to the metal!

I always use the serpentine stitch to sitd. I do this even if I'm going to FM in the blocks. My quilts will NEVER come apart....LOL!

Forgot to say; I have a Janome 6600 and I always use the built in walking foot. I never have tucks or wrinkles on the back.

I used the serpentine stitch on a baby quilt I made and it worked out fine. I really liked the effect. My daughter took a quilting class and they used the decorative stitches on every block. It was gorgeous! You paid for all those stitches, might as well get some good out of them!

Hmmm, I didn't know that fact about the walking foot. So glad to have picked up this bit of information this morning. BTW, I have used the serpentine stitch with the little leaves (looks like a vine) going down the middle of the sashings on a baby quilt. Worked out very nicely.