Fabric Tuesday part deux

Oh these Tuesdays are going to sneak up on me, I can tell.

I did make my husband a pair of jammie shorts with some flannel (featuring maple leaves) I got in Victoria on our road trip. Not too exciting--though I did almost cut them out upside down!

Mostly I have been working on my wall quilt for the end of my kitchen cabinet. It's not done--the front is sewn, the appliques cut out. The arrangement undecided.

Maybe this?

Or this?

I think I am leaning toward the upper placement--but with the red on the bottom as in the second photo. It pops more down there. The fabrics on the right are my main backing, the red stripe will be a band on the back, and the darkest is my binding. I am also thinking of making a circular label for the back, and trying to align it with one of the front circles.

I am planning to machine-applique these, but am stuck on a color! Red will pop, maybe too much? Black will be a bulls-eye. Which leaves white. Zig zag or buttonhole? Maybe hand buttonhole would be easier (for me)? Maybe red hand buttonhole? Maybe I should do a doodle cloth to help me decide.