Early in the year will work well for me too. I'm expecting a new granddaughter in the next couple of weeks and will be away from home (and my sewing machine) when we go for a visit.
You know, when I first heard about the challenge to do a chicken quilt the idea didn't really appeal to me. But I started looking at patterns and fabric and now I'm really excited about it. In fact, I've found so many cute patterns I just might have to make more than one. Thanks for the inspiration, mama.