If I were putting a footboard on, I would definitely want the side rails for stability. But whether you should add the footboard or not is really up to you. My deciding factor would be the size of the room (if it's on the small side, I'd leave the footboard off so the room doesn't feel too closed in, even visually), if large enough, then I'd be tempted to go for it. As for your lovely quilt, having a footboard shouldn't harm the quilt at all. I have a footboard on my bed and it's never been a problem with any of my quilts or comforters.
