I didn't go through all the posts, but I suspect what you are finding you don't like is the white border. The border with the batting around it looks like too much white to balance. I have a feeling that is partly an optical issue. The batting and the border makes the white come forward while the interior recedes. After you cut off the extra batting try laying the quilt on a dark color and see if it is more to your liking. If you like it then, success! If not you could try Sawtooth triangles--(I think that is what they are called) where you take a square and fold it into quarters (triangles). Anyway, this could be a way to include the scrappy into the border or just around the edge of the quilt.