This, or a replacement door peephole from the hardware store is what I use!

Peckish,

That is a great idea. I had not thought of one of those, it is small and would be easy to take shopping. My problem is that once I see a mistake, no matter the distance or how fast the horse, that is all I see until I fix it.

We tease about the 8' rule. If you have something you think is quite right and are considering taking it out, then we say "Can you see it at 8'? If not, leave it."

Don't know that 'rule,' but I figure if it would look good to someone riding by on a giraffe, it's good enough! :D:D:D

My rule is lay it out on floor or wall..step back..if your eye travels around the whole thing..without being pull back to any one spot..it is good to go..if the eye is going back to the one place over and over..it needs changed..to make it flow

I agree that looking at fabrics or blocks or even a whole quilt look different through a camera. Now I always look at my projects that way, as I'm making the next decision about them.

I used to have to use a hallway wall as my design wall - no way to get 10' back from that! (I probably can get about 8 feet back from my new setup though - a vast improvement!)

I use the camera. I get back as far as I can and snap a picture in color and for some quilts another in black & white. If anything jars the eye I go back and re-arrange.

I'll take 20-30 sets of photos for a stack & whack - I have to fuss with those FOREVER before I'm happy. Thank goodness for digital cameras!

I always took the "galloping horse" saying as pretty much just quilting humor. Literally, you can't see much detail of anything on a galloping horse. I for sure want my quilts to look better than just good enough for someone on a galloping horse!

Never heard that one before. I look at it, leave the room for awhile and come back and look again. Then I leave it for a few hours, check it again. If I'm still pleased it is a go.

I have a different take on that phrase. Whenever I would wear my plastic rain hat my girls would say "10 foot rule". Guess they didn't like my rain hat.