Neberlin, you've given me some ideas here on how to play in the abstract. I don't use my machine's fancy stitches nearly enough. If you haven't tried bobbin stitching it is quite useful for those larger threads that won't go through a needle and gives a hand stitched appearance with some threads. I've only done it a few times so I'm not an expert with the technique but the main thing is to wind the thread (like perle cotton or tatting thread) onto a bobbin and adjusting the bobbin tension loose enough to allow thread flow. Then you stitch from the wrong side or back side of your top or quilt. I use this technique when I want a pronounced thread line to show on the top. Since you can't see what you are doing from the back side, echo quilting doesn't work unless you sew an outline stitch in regular thread from the top side first, which then provides a line to follow from the backside with the heavier bobbin thread. Bobbin stitching is great for all over designs using either free motion quilting or following the design of the backing fabric.