I do meandering on charity quilts for speed and easier handling of big quilts, but I also try out new fmq designs on charity quilts. I hardly ever meander on a quilt I'm doing for myself, a friend, or competition unless I want an area to stand out and do the rest of the area in a small meander. I take a lot of time and thought to determine what quilting patterns to use on most every quilt I do. I do take classes and study fmq done by others to learn more. I've been fmq for at least 20 years, probably longer. There is always more to learn.