Thank you everyone for the positive feedback. I was so upset when I first looked at my mess I could have cried. So nice to have a turn around. I do think stepping away for a bit really helped. I was bound and determined not to remove any of those hard placed hand stitches! I kept looking at the posted directions for QAYG and finally decided that it "should" work! I have to admit that the first cut into the back was very, very hard!
I hope no one else ever has to face this disaster but if they do at least now we know the quilt can be fixed and made useable!