Beautiful Antique Pennsylvania Amish Sewing Ball (with a bit of darned repair, too)

I'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 covering the whole ball--and in excellent bright orange! I love the combination here, and a few holes in the orange showing wrapped yarn underneath--with one patch of darning to the orange knit, too!  To me, folk art pin cushions are a wonderful thing to collect, embodiments of resourceful women making utilitarian things special, and this a beautiful, very skillfully made, and clearly well used, example. Late 19th c. or so I believe. 

Approx 2 11/16" in diameter and in good, tight, sound and stable condition.