I love applique. It is my favorite! And I love doing "echoing" around each applique. It makes the applique "pop". I don't know if I would sew the applique on before quilting, I think that's your decision, but to make it pop, echo around all the applique. I would echo around each piece of the large applique...you have three flowers inside each other. Why not applique a flower in the middle circle and then echo the circle and each of the flowers about 2-3 times around. I am doing something similar and that is how I'm making my applique "pop". You can echo around all the flowers on your border section as well. That is what I would do. Just an idea.