I think I would turn the whole thing on point and encase it in darker corners. The corners could be done in many ways, and more fabrics snuck in. You could just jelly roll a bunch of strips to make the corner triangles, or a single fabric, or maybe something with a sort of square in a square turned into a triangle to repeat the sashing square sort of... A single fabric would be a great time for a large print, bringing in colors from the jellys.
And I think a talented (as in, not me) could do something really great with maybe a strong yellow thread color??
Now that my vision issues are dealt with, I'm going to start going to the local quilt guild where I am hoping to find someone that appliques who would like to work with someone who pieces. I like to do a bit of sewing each day, and I don't mind repetition, but I am so bored with my own ideas... still I have fabric and I have time and working with someone I think we can both achieve great things.