I use decorative stitching all the time on my quilts. I think it adds another design element, especially when I used different color threads. It does use a lot of thread. You have to be careful which stitches you use..I avoid the dense stitches (hard to remove if there's a problem and it's SLOW). Also if you use different colors on top and bottom, watch your thread tension. I only use W&N batting which only needs quilting every 10". I have a Janome6600 with a walking foot which I find I cannot use for some decorative stitches, especially when there is back/forth stitching. All a matter of practice and experience. When I first started, I worried that my quilts weren't quite up to standard, but I have gotten over that. While I like overall quilting patterns, I also love my decorative stitches. So do what makes you happy! Would love to see your work.