Thank you all for your advice and comments! I am going to keep the ribbon border as it really is very pretty especially in my purples! but the rest of it is currently undergoing a rework! we have a 'unsewing' (sounds so much more professional than unpicking! lol) party planned for the weekend and I will then get to work with the sections and see what I come up with. I am fortunate that I have left over fabrics so if necessary I can always make a few more pieces. I will be sure to post a photo of the reworked quilt!