It all started last spring when a pair of cardinals built their nest by our back door. I became fascinated with watching the activity of our backyard birds.

Then I noticed a robin nesting in a holly tree around the corner in the alcove. I think the robins raised at least two broods there, possibly three.

As I observed the birds I started to really notice their behaviors and to learn their songs.

I looked things up online as well. Cornell University Lab of Ornithology has a wonderful website where I learned a lot about bird habits and behavior, and was able to listen to recordings of the various bird songs.

I learned that the American Robin is thought to be saying Cheerily, Cheeriup, Cheerio. I also learned that Robins were the birds waking us up each morning! However early it was, how can you not love waking to such cheer!   (Side note: I learned when I had my first child that being “up with the birds” is A LOT earlier than being “up at the crack of dawn”!)

Along with my fascination with birds came a desire to create little pictures of them in fabric. It was a fun interlude to my usual larger work.

When it came time to make a 12” x 12” quilt for the SAQA 2011 Benefit Auction I decided to stay with the bird theme and created a cheery robin watching over the nest. The leaves are all created separately and are tacked onto the branches. They stand out a bit from the surface and create some dimension.

"Cheerily, Cheeriup, Cheerio", 12" x 12"    ©2011 Martha C. Hall

SAQA is the Studio Art Quilt Associates, of which I am a member. The Benefit Auction is the biggest fundraiser of the year and helps support SAQA programs. There are 309 small quilts (all 12” x 12”) up for auction this year.

The auction starts today, September 12, starting with the quilts in Section 1.

Section 2 auction starts the week of September 19.

My quilt is in Section 3 and goes up for auction the week of September 26.

Click here to get all the fine details of how the auction and bidding works. It’s a reverse auction so the bidding starts high - $750. – and prices decrease each day, ending at $75.

The “big name” quilts will go quickly for $750. I’m not a big name so my quilt will not garner top dollar, though my sincere hope is that it does not end up in the bargain bin!

Until next time –
MCH