I'm glad things are getting better for you Tippysmom. If you've been quilting long enough similar things happen to us all... I can't tell you all the ways and times and sometimes reasons I've cut a quilt or otherwise had to do a major repair. The only other idea I can give you if the tears are on the log cabin part at the site of the applique is to consider an outline/shadow the shape of the Santa only a little larger, think of a half inch of black or whatever. I had a friend do that once, we all commented on how it made the applique pop out and she confided that it was "just a fix".