Beautiful Antique Pennsylvania Amish Sewing Ball (with a bit of darned repair, too) Mexican folk art owl it is a bit delicate

it is a bit delicate to actually use now

which I understand from the seller came from a notable private Americana collection

Billhouse in 1838

Lovely and very special feeling

and have wanted to find one of these Victorian winder types since learning of their existence a couple of years ago

Beautiful Antique Pennsylvania Amish Sewing Ball (with a bit of darned repair, too) Mexican folk art owl it is a bit delicateI've been eying old Pennsylvania "Amish" folk art yarn balls like this for quite some time, but this is the first one I've purchased, a nice old one, found in Lancaster county, which is likely where it was made. Functional as pin cushions, there were many variations of these made, but I think it is the ones with "gods eye" type thread work that are the most special, and this one is unusual for the combination of that with exposed knitwork underneath