PTS3 or PTSD?

OK. So, no joke. Coming up with a pillow for my Pillow Talk Swap parter has been traumatic! My fabric stash has been strewn. My thoughts, though many, have just not seemed quite right. And my heart has literally been aching about what to create for my partner.

Hopefully, though, I can now begin to recover . . .

While I wouldn't initially call Moda's Hello Betty modern . . . nor would I call the 9-patch modern . . . I can see this sitting in a modern sewist's living room. Can't you? After finding both Hello Betty and the 9-patch in my partner's favs and suddenly feeling like some inspiration had struck, I'm trying to convince myself that it is modern enough for this swap! So, is it?

I'm going to work out the 9 patch blocks today and get some floss, piping, and linen to match. I figure that even if I start to feel uncomfortable with the less modern prints, I can always use them as the foundation for whatever I do with the rest of the layer cake . . . right?

Any suggestions for what to hand-stitch in the 4 corners? Straight lines? Something cutesy? Arched Circles? Hmm . . . What about the center? Does it need something more elaborate? Should I mimic the dot fabric in the very center with some embroidery? What about a cute covered button? The options are endless . . . and I need some help!

Oh, and here are a couple more stitching options . . .