My Hexy Quilt

I feel like I'm finally resurfacing this week from a cruddy illness that knocked me out for a while.  It was no fun, but at least I had some down time.  This week I've been working on quilts because I feel the need to finish some before the baby arrives.  I have four quilts in progress!  I will share a little about each one here over the next couple of weeks.

Today, I'm thinking about my version of Katy's fabulous Hexy MF quilt, which I'm making as part of Fat Quarterly's quilt along.  My version is smaller than the original layout here.  I opted for just 39 flowers in the main applique (7 columns alternating 6 and 5 flowers each) and I made them from 1" hexagons instead of 1.5".  

*via ImAGingerMonkey on flickr

Soooooo, over the summer I've been working away on these fun flowers and I finally have enough for the main applique part of my Hexy MF quilt!  I have to say I have LOVED making these.  Ive found that english paper piecing (EPP) is kinda like knitting for me, except once you get the hang of it, you really don't have to think at all.  It's relaxing and makes me feel old-fashioned.      

 

Now, that's a nice stack-o-flowers, but, I have a ways to go with this quilt.  Next I'll start sewing these together and then applique the whole piece to a background fabric.  Which brings me to where I'm stumped - background fabric.  This quilt will be for the baby.  I love how Summersville has played with dark and bold solids, but I want this quilt to be light and cheery and a little bit girly.  I could just go with a solid white background or maybe a light grey.  But, I'm just not typically a straight-up solids kinda gal.  I could do a different type of blender like Sketch or Quilter's Linen, but what color?  Or, I also like the idea of a subtle dot fabric like this, but would that be too busy?  

Here they are on top of a piece of Kona Ash. 

What do you think?  Solid, crosshatch, dots?  Something else?  For the first time, I'm stumped!  I would love your input.  In the meantime, I'm back to quilting!