Believe it or not, hand quilting has the ability to cause imperfections to "quilt out." They are there one minute & when you are finished with that area, the puckers are gone! I think it has something to do with the hills & valleys created by hand quilting with a low-loft polyester batting. Doesn't work as well with the cotton batting as it's flatter than poly. The top is rather pretty & I'm sure you will do a lovely job quilting it for her. Besides, with the cooler weather finally here, having a quilt to snuggle under while you're quilting it is a good thing.