One Monthly Goal for June - Verandah Views

I had to have a think about which project I was going to work on this month.  The quick, obvious projects have now been completed and I'm going to have to dig deeper into my older projects, and what seems to be my main stumbling block - projects that need hand stitching.

So, I decided to once again avoid the hand stitching and go to a very old UFO - one of my oldest - dating back to 2009/10 - Verandah Views.  It was a free mystery stitchery of the month ending in a small wall quilt designed by Cheryl Goss.  This is where I left it on 31 December 2010.  And nothing has happened since, except to be packed away deep in the dark depths......

Now, this project is very nearly finished, even to the stage of being nearly completely quilted.

I had even stitched and dated the label.

So why didn't it get finished at the time? Well, I love all the stitchery blocks except for the one at the middle top.  It is supposed to be a fledgling bird on a rooftop.  It just doesn't go well with all the other blocks.

If I had thought about it more at the time I would have just replaced that block with some piecing or a different stitchery, but hind sight is a wonderful thing.  Now that it is not only stitched into the quilt, but the block quilted around as well, it is a little more difficult to amend.

Today I pulled the quilt out and had a bit more of a think. Firstly, what would I replace the block with and then how?  

I do love the little label and guess what?  It is the same size as the block I want to replace.  There's no reason why I can't have the label front and centre is there?  Val's label design is certainly cuter that what I am replacing. Then the how...back then we were backing our stitcheries with thin pellon, rather than weaveline, so to just applique it on top would be too bulky.  I think the way to go would be to unpick the quilting around the block, then unpick the seams around the existing block and remove it.  Then slip the label into the hole with the seams under the block border and then hand stitch the block border to the label, like needle turn applique.  It will be fiddly, but I think it could work.  Oh, but firstly I would have to amend the date, maybe change to to "2010-18"?

Or should I leave the existing block where it is and just get the thing finished?

Some input would be greatly appreciated.  It WILL be finished this month one way or the other.

I'm linking up with Elm Street Quilts here.

In the background I will be making my three Squared Away Sampler blocks in turquoise and teal for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge as well.  

That should keep me amused for the month.