I used the serpentine on all the seams of a quilt that was pieced by hand by a young child, where the seams were sometimes too narrow and the stitches too long. It was something my SIL's family had saved so long they didn't remember who had made it, maybe from about the 1940's. I think the serpentine looked pretty neat and probably made the quilt more secure. They use it when the young grandchildren visit. One time I used feather stitches on a mug rug made from one inch squares. I sewed diagonally across all the squares, and I liked that look. I've made some small projects with crazy quilt designs. Other than that, I sometimes use the decorative stitches when sewing doll clothes or on pillow cases. I like having the variety, and you might as well find a use for them because all the machines with other good features also have the decorative stitches.