I think that the quilting should be appropriate for the specific quilt...period. That may or may not include feathers. I happen to love feathers- in the right spot- and done in the right manner. For instance, k3n's spectrum quilt looks fabulous with the feathers. I do sometimes feel that feathers "can" be a catch all when not used in the correct way. But then who's to say what the "correct" way really is, afterall, its just your own opinion.