That's a great idea... I had been trying to think of something I could add off to the side -- however, too late! I only have to crosshatch the top section and I'm done quilting. Thank you for continuing to ponder this and come back with more great stuff!
Since this is my first major quilting experience (all other times I just SID) and since my machine is really hard to quilt with (cheap Brother with 4.5" throat), I used matching thread for all the different sections. In case I goofed, I didn't want it to stand out.
I'll be posting pictures hopefully by the weekend.