Land of the Free (Two Options)

You asked so here is my review. I have purchased many of your designs, but this is the first one that I am disappointed in. Just because it COULD be a Wholecloth doesn’t mean it SHOULD. I found no customer examples of this but thought I’d be OK without having to buy the expensive Legit Kits and then committing to a gazillion hours piecing it. I have shown this quilt to many people. I just get blank stares as they don’t understand it. It does not come with outlines. I listened to Adam Sew Fun to prep for this. He mentioned why but it is imperative (in my opinion) to separate the eagle from the background in the Wholecloth version. I’ve tried using a 12 wt thread. It looked like a crime scene with the outline like those around a dead body. Awful! Pulled all those stitches out. Next tried a drill stitch around the bird. Still too heavy-handed. Finally used a black thread coated in gold metallic flakes. Not happy with it and was planning to display it in my county’s 200th year celebration on July 9. I think it really needs to be fabric painted. I have INKtense but not the skills yet to do it any justice. Legit Kits does not offer a panel in this Land of the Free. Is there anyway that this can be salvaged? Help, please!