Pattern Name: Wheel of Fortune
Age: 1870s-1890s
Quilting:  utility quilting in the blocks with fussy leaf quilting in the relief
Material: plant dyed calico - in browns, greens, and white with beautiful red binding
Measurements:  80x80
 
Heritage: This quilt was found in Ohio. An older plant dyed piece - this quilt is quite breathtaking.  Someone has taken great care to preserve and store this quilt.  It is from the late 1870s-1880s.  The quilt features a beautiful wheel of fortune pattern with fantastic fussy quilting in the relief.  The binding is a thin red binding.  The sweetest part about this quilt is the variation of color in the blocks at the corner - they do not match the rest of the quilt in color, but they do in style.  The stitching is roughly 8 stitches per inch, which required an expert quilter.
 
Condition: Overall the piece is in good condition for its age. There are spots where the brown dye is fugitive, which is not uncommon with brown dyes - as these are more unstable.  You can see the green starting to fade back to its indigo beginnings in some areas.  There are no major rips or tears, but a few storage stains.  There are also a few small seam separations, but still sturdy.  Overall, this is a truly beautiful quilt and would be wonderful to display.  Due to the nature of the dyes, this quilt should be stored out of direct sunlight. 
 
NOTE:  This would not be a quilt to wash, but to leave outside in the sun (under a clean white sheet) for a few warm, sunny days. This is the traditional cleaning method for these types of quilts and would be appropriate here.