Christmas Star Quilt

As promised, here is the Christmas Star quilt top I got finished when I was snowbound last week. I only had another 10 blocks to make as the wonderful folks from The Quick Christmas Bee had made the other 14! (I had made the first one as a demonstration block). Thanks so much Marg, Lynz, Julie and Maria!
This is going to be quite a 'modern' quilt for me. Look, it has borders! AND a pieced back (or as I like to call it a 'fancy' back).

I am not totally sure about the back, I have often admired the random backs on other quilts which look like the makers have just used up fabric left from the front. Maybe there is more to it than this. But also maybe it will look better when quilted.
Ahh, quilting, well that's the next thing. I am going to attempt to machine quilt for the first time in 15 years. And I would really appreciate some help! I have being reading a few tutorials but there is a lot of conflicting advice. So maybe you lovely peeps could give me the benefit of your wisdom.
1. Basting - pins or spray stuff? Does anybody tack a machine quilted quilt? Do they have to be safety pins or can you just use ordinary ones?
2. Walking foot - I have actually just bought one of these and it arrived yesterday. Is this just to do straight lines? I thought I might 'stipple' (is that the right word?) all over but have just realised the 'free motion' foot I have is for an old machine and now I will have to buy one for my current machine. So maybe I should just use straight lines all over. Any ideas?
3. I am also worried about how a light stippling would look on the red back. What do you think?  Please give me any advice you think would be appropriate!

It all seems such a hassle that I wonder if I should just hand quilt after all! Especially as some news I had this week means that I will be losing the use of my sewing room over Christmas!
Yes, Felix is coming home for Christmas! In fact he is home already, though I won't see him until tonight as I am stuck at the shop.
You may remember how pathetic and snivelling I was in this post, as Felix, my eldest, embarked on a 9-10 month travelling trip with his girlfriend back in September. Funnily enough as soon as he left I was completely fine and Jonathan and I have been really enjoying the peace and quiet! We still have our younger son, Jacob, visiting every week or so, and of course he will be staying for Christmas too, hence my sewing room will revert to a bedroom :(
Poor Emma, Felix's girlfriend, was rushed to hospital last week with appendicitis and had to have her appendix removed! In Sri Lanka (though surgeon trained in Edinburgh)! So they have had to fly home so she can recuperate, but still plan to go off again in the New Year.
So excited to have him home for Christmas!
Don't forget to leave me some invaluable machine quilting tips. Thanks!!