I felt anxious just reading this. 😉To have all the work done to this point, and then have to drill into the front - you are much braver than I am!!  

The outcome is wonderful - as evidenced by the recipient's response. As woodworkers, we are far too critical on minor issues that 99.9% of folks never notice (ok, maybe 99.8%). Most people will see the project as a whole, appreciating the merging of all the details, without being able to really identify those aspects individually. You will know, and you should be proud of creating a wonderful one of a kind project that your friend loves. In the end, that's what we all want from projects like this.Â