I would use the back. It will be a fun surprise for him. You have to be careful what you say about your projects. I went to a workshop with Kaye England. When I got home, my husband wanted to see what I had worked on. He asked who it was for and I said, "oh, it's for you." I thought he would ignore the remark--no way every few days he would ask "how's my quilt coming?" I did finish it and gave it to him.