Thanks everyone for the positive reinforcement. It finally "feels right". I was about ready to throw up my hands and just set it aside again when I tried this one more time. Think I was about to wear out the fabric taking it apart so many times. Lol! Finding the red and the blue with the white stars lightened it up that little bit that it needed to keep from being too dark, without breaking up the pattern I'd already started.
Not sure which border I'm going to try yet.