Phew, very pleased to read all looks good in the end. I've struggled with removing stitches because of pleats on the back, I'm sure it's happened to most of us.

Ugh, I hate it when that happens. I quilted a pleat in the back of my Karyukai quilt but it was my quilt so I just left it. But since then I have gotten into the habit of checking well and giving my backing fabric a good strong tug on both sides with every advance before attaching the side clamps. Then I look again to make sure I have no ripples. Amazing how a situation like this makes you form new habits!

So happy everything worked out for you. As far as the needle goes, I found a big blue magnet with a handle that picks things up pretty good from the tightest spaces. Have had trouble with my back so little painful depending on how I bend, so I just clamped it to the end of a yardstick. It's great for those objects hard to get to.

Great save and thanks for sharing! Now hoping I will remember it when it happens to me!!!