My good friend has a rule about seam ripping. She'll rip something 3 times, if it's not perfect after 3 attempts, she'll leave it. I rarely have to rip something that often. I find that the more pins I use, the happier I am with the outcome. I've just learned that pinning is every bit as much of the process as cutting, sewing and pressing.
I also see we are neighbors, of sorts, I live in Blaine...