Your quilt is very nice. You should be proud and the hearts are great. You have the talent for machine quilting for sure.
I've mainly done hand quilting and the 1/4 inch around the pieces in the traditional way to quilt and I do that a lot. When you machine quilt in the ditch. you can jump the ditch pretty easily and I think the 1/4 inch is easier. I don't have one of the foots that keep you in the ditch. Echo quilting around figures makes them pop and is not that difficult if you slow down. Good job!!What a lucky little girl.
I attach my label in the corner so two bindings catch it also. I can't imagine someone taking a label off and regifting. I'd be very upset by that, heck I'm upset and it wasn't my quilt. sSme people have a lot of nerve.