I like the green--it keeps the colors from becoming too saccharine. If you aren't sure about quilting, machining or tying, how about some embroidery? You could use perle cotton to outline stitch, following the outsides of each hexagon ring and burying the ends of the threads just like in quilting. If you make the stitches large it will go quickly and if they are even they will look good on the back. You could also try running stitch, as in quilting but maybe 3 to the inch. Since it is a 'rescued' quilt you can think outside the box (or hexagon) and also make it as sturdy as possible. It will be fun!

I'm loving all the suggestions and comments :) Thanks everyone. I got some batting for this quilt today since I'm probably 85% done with getting the quilt top free! all I have to do is sew on the red edges so its uniform and then I can pin baste it. I'll post some more pics when I have completed that.

The batting I got is I think called warm and natural, its cotton. I always like cotton better than poly, but I'm wondering it says it will shrink 3%. My thought is that if I don't prewash it, when I finish the quilt and wash it for the first time it will get a nice puckery old timey look. Is that a reasonable expectation?

Not really wanting to prewash. Also, based on other threads I've read I got some retroclean and I'm planning to treat the quilt top Friday (we are expecting warm weather) and see if I can't get the colors to brighten up anymore :)

Update with pics! I did the retro clean soak and it brightened things up a little bit (the whites especially). It faded the blacks on the plaid, which make me like it a little better (not so dark with the other light colors). I fixed all the loose pieces and attached the red trim to the other sides. Decided not to applique the other block in the center which should save me some time. It's ready to baste and I think I'm going to at least attempt to hand quilt it.http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7146/6...2de5496c65.jpg