I have had this cotton quilt for a while now. I love how the black hides stains. It darkens up my small bedroom a bit so I rotate it with a white quilt. However, its relaxing not worrying about any spills on the bed. The bold pattern has held up perfectly. I have washed it so many times at the laundromat. I dont baby it. This cotton quilt is soft and feels good against the skin when your top sheet goes missing. Actually, I dont use top sheets. Despite being black its a cheerful, bohemian very feminine in your face design. I love it. Be aware it sort of dominates the look of a room when the bed is made. I got rid of the pillow cases long ago... but only as a matter of personal preference. I dont recall any problems with them.