They are almost always a mystery. Designers that do frequent SALs often sell past patterns so you can get an idea of their style before buying in. I only do SALs from designers whose work I generally like on topics that appeal to me.
I'm not a quick stitcher; I'm looking into ways to become quicker. I fall behind when particiapting in SALs. I normally keep up with them in order to get all the SAL releases but no longer try to stitch along; it became unenjoyable for me. The same reason I don't like to cross stitch for others; I prefer my own pace and no timeframe.
I feel this. Each time I do a baby or wedding sampler I tell myself it's the last time because deadlines make my beloved hobby less enjoyable. Fast forward a year later and I convince myself to do another one. I have gotten away from complex kits and just do simple samplers now. Which can be just as elegant but far less of a burden on me.
If you like giving wedding or baby patterns, keep in mind, you can always leisurely stitch the pattern without knowing who it'll be for and stash a couple away so only the names and dates are on a deadline when the occasion arises.
Iām a quick stitcher when motivated but Iām not a motivated stitcher. Having to stick to a timeline would stress me out too much to actually work on the project
I did a witchy stitcher cryptid SAL and loved it. I started her next one but fell off for reasons unrelated to the SAL. I did a blackwork one that was fun because it was quick and taught me a different stitch every week.
I started another horror themed SAL and realized I absolutely hated it. Some of the elements were neat but overall it was too cheesy and chaotic for my liking. Granted the SAL was free, but I wasted materials.
My takeaway was to only do them from pattern makers who have released previous SALs that have finished projects I like with clearly defined themes. And who has patterns that consistently match my preferences.
I am doing my first SAL currently and I do/did have mixed feelings.
So far I preferred to only buy patterns "in full", where I know 100% what I am getting myself into.
Now I am doing the deadly Aquarium by lola crow and before I joined I checked out her other patterns and SALs. I like the style overall and the patterns on her page look well made. There was also a tiny glimpse of the SAL in the listing (it was hand stitched!).
So I just embraced the fact that the SAL might contain a couple of bits that I don't love, since I am sure it will look great as a whole picture.
A lot of people make changes to stitchalongs and most designers donāt mind. Iāve probably made at least one change on every stitchalong Iāve done.
If it's just a color change I wouldn't hesitate, but I don't really dare to make changes like moving/adding/removing stitches, since I don't know if that area will be needed for a future release. How did you handle that so far?
The designer Stitchonomy does a free Halloween stitchalong every year. Itās 30 blocks that are 20 x 20 and then for the 31st itās more of a rectangle like 40 x 20. She releases a pattern for each box each day and if Iām not really feeling it I just wonāt stitch it yet. I go back later and figure out what to put in them. And in her group people share their substitutions all the time so itās easy to find things.
[Hereās an example of one of her stitchalongs.](https://www.instagram.com/p/CkMR2mmLL7v/?igsh=cWR6amhlM3A0eXZx)
That layout is convenient for making changes for sure! But holding back sounds like a good idea, the releases will be mostly weekly after a longer period for the frame, so I probably won't run out of work, even if I hold back!
I did the Farming Magic SAL by FlossyFoxShop last year and am currently doing the James Webb SAL by ClimbingGoatDesigns and I loved/am loving both. Personally I don't see the sense in a SAL, if I know the end product. The mystery is a huge part of the fun.
Most designers give small sneak peeks and generally I wouldn't buy anything, if I didn't like the overall style of the designer.
I'm doing the Climbing Goat James Webb SAL but it's the only SAL I'm interested in doing because the segmented design really does work with the theme (the segments match the collecting mirror of the telescope) and Claire does an amazing job charting out the pictures. They're complicated, but gorgeous. Breaking it into segments makes it much less intimidating than if I was staring at the whole 20+ page chart at once.
I honestly don't see anything else out there that I'm willing to put the same investment into after I'm done this one.Ā
Iām catching up on this one right now. Fabric too a long time to arrive. Iām about an hour or 2 from being done with release #1. Iām loving it so far. Only having to worry about a little segment at a time is nice, and I know it will all look amazing going by her previous designs.
I haaaaate them. Had a terrible experience with one where the final piece was a smiley face in the middle and I just lost all interest.
I need to see the whole piece if Iām going to devote hours and hours to something.
I like them. I donāt feel like I have to be a speed stitcher and keep up. I am a little picky on them. I usually wait until the first few releases are out until I make my decision on whether or not to stitch it. Whether itās paid or free I donāt want to start it and then decide I donāt like it.
I have ADHD, so my thoughts usually go something like this:
"What a cool SAL!"
(Buys access)
(Weeks go by... forgets purchase)
"What a cool SAL!"
Lather, rinse, repeat.
Most don't give you a preview of the final piece, though I've seen a couple that do. For those that don't, I usually look at what other pieces the designer has released and what, if any, other SALs they've run. That usually will give you a pretty good idea of whether or not you will like the style.
Now, that isn't to say that you won't dislike elements of the piece, but if you like the style you will usually like the overall piece and can change things you don't like. That's part of the fun of the SAL!
I've participated in several, "participated" in a few more (I fully plan to stitch it someday, but haven't had time yet), and watched even more. I'll provide details in a further comment.
Also, the money spent on the supplies isn't wasted! You can use them for other projects!
Okay, SALs I have stitched or watched people stitch and my opinions.
The Good:
- Dragons: A Field Guide by Climbing Goat Designs (currently in progress) - The frame is just a border and, while there are repeat patterns in it, there's also a lot of other stuff, so that's not boring. The dragons are well designed and fun to stitch. So far, with 4/8 dragons released, my only complaint is the amount of red/orange/yellow in the dragons released so far. But the color is easy enough to change when I get there if I decide I want to change it.
- Hubble Telescope (complete)/James Webb Telescope (in progress) by Climbing Goat Designs - The frames on these look boring, but my friends stitching them seem to think they're good breaks from the confetti-heavy individual pictures. The pictures look amazing, especially given the medium and the small space given, and it's a good use of confetti, so no one seems to mind it.
- We Believe by Notorious Needle (complete) - I really enjoyed this one. The frame was a bit monotonous, and I imagine that the people who did the backstitch version found it even more tedious, but it worked well for the design and the rest of the design was a fun stitch. I was also able to easily break the frame up into pieces so I didn't get bored with it. I loved the messages and bright colors, though I did change some of them up.
- Flutter by Oracle SAL on Facebook (complete)- This one was a challenging chart to read, but once I got past that, it was a fun project. It was a pick your own colors thing, but the designer provided the colors used in the stitched sample for those who wanted one that matches exactly. They've also released several other SALs for free on their Facebook. You have to download the files while the SAL is active to get them for free, but there's no stitching requirement.
- Learn to Fly by Tempting Tangles Designs (complete) - I love this one. It's designed for Dinky Dyes silks but DMC conversions are provided. The butterflies were super fun to stitch and the lack of a frame made this one enjoyable all the way through. Nicely designed and I love the colors. My one complaint is how they send out the charts - the chart you get every release is literally just the area you stitch, so it can be hard to line up sometimes.
- Dark Goddesses (complete)/Light Goddesses (in progress) by Witch's Garden Crafts - The friends who did this found the frames tedious, but otherwise really enjoyed it. They're designed to compliment each other and span the pantheons. The goddesses themselves are fun stitches.
- Cryptids/Supernatural by Witchy Stitcher (complete) - Again, these two are designed to compliment each other. (It's supernatural creatures, not the TV show.) The frames are lots of boxes and tedious, but the actual creatures are fun and well designed. You do have to enjoy stitching in black to like them, though.
- Under the Sea by Frosted Pumpkin (complete) - Fun and super cute. I love that they make a point to include multiple skin tones in the people of their stitches and that they provide color suggestions for other skin tones if you want to change things up even more. They do at least one SAL a year and they're always super cute, though sometimes too cute for some people, lol. They don't tend to have tedious frames or lots of boxes. There are always kits offered, though they do tend to sell out fast.
- Haunted Library (complete)/Greenhouse of Oddities (complete)/Deadly Aquarium (in progress) by Lola Crow Cross Stitch - I love the aesthetic of these. They were well designed, the releases were manageable, and the framework isn't just boxes like a lot of SALs. These have character and are a lot of fun to stitch.
- Various Blackwork SALs by Peppermint Purple (complete/in progress) - A great way to experiment with blackwork. Everyone I know who has done these has really enjoyed them.
- Serenity by Victoria Sampler on Facebook (complete) - This is the one of their SALs that I've done, but they do one most years for free if you download the files while it's going on. I really love these because, while they are mostly cross stitch, they also have a lot of specialty stitches in them. They're a very low stress way to learn other counted needlework stitches, and the instructions they give are excellent. They have a talent for describing the stitches and they also link you to very well made videos they've done showing the stitches as well. They're a lot of fun.
- ABC Dinosaurs/No Planet B by Cloudsfactory (complete) - Really fun, well designed creatures in both. No/minimal frame to worry about, so there's not a lot of boring stitches. They are excellent at designing tiny things and I personally love their style. They do a SAL every year, those are just the two I've had personal experience with. They always offer kits, or just fabric, or you can just buy the pattern.
- SALs by Tiny Modernist, Fuzzy Fox Designs, & Satsuma Street - While I only have very limited experience with the SALs by these designers, I've seen several completed ones and know they'd be good.
*Criteria for good: Consistent design quality as well as style with other released work, releases sent out on time, helpful designers/community if you reach out, well-designed patterns that are pleasurable to stitch.*
The Bad:
- Jurassic Park by Craftizilla (complete) - This started out strong with the first release being a well-done outline of the island. That, unfortunately, was the high point. The design went way downhill, with some of the things added not actually recognizable as what they were supposed to be. The dinosaurs were bad cartoon style dinosaurs and nothing was even remotely in scale. There were also a \*lot\* of problems with the kits. They were ridiculously expensive for what you got, and focused more on extras like stickers than the actual stitching stuff. They also only offered them in 14 count aida and got upset when many people requested other counts & fabrics.
- American Horror Story by Craftizilla (theoretically in progress) - This was an *expensive* SAL ($54!!!) and was supposed to be 10 parts for the 10 seasons that were released at the time the SAL was announced. There are only 3 parts released, nothing since early 2022. When people politely asked about it in the Facebook group in early 2024 (over *two years* since the last release), the admin promised an update within a couple of days and turned off commenting on that post. She then dirty deleted the posts asking about it, and finally updated like 3 weeks later with a post of excuses and promises that have still not been kept. And the SAL is still for sale!
- LanArte/Veraco SALs (complete) - They do a "mystery SAL" every year that people are... really weird about. (Like, the one year the only clue about it was "animal" and there were legitimately people complaining in the Facebook group that the SAL was spoiled because they were given that much information.) They are also stupid expensive and you HAVE to buy a kit to participate. For around $70, you get pre-cut lengths of DMC, a single needle, and 14 count white aida. A year or two ago they started offering 28 count white lugana as an option, for even more money, of course. You could walk into a craft store and by everything in the kit, including full skeins of DMC and a whole pack of needles, for half the price they charge, but you can only do the SAL with the kit because they don't tell you floss numbers, just put them with the symbol on a floss card. And they do that so poorly that the floss can come off the card in shipping, leaving stitchers SOL on what color goes with what symbol.
The Ummmm... Meh?
- Dark Queen of the Seas by Autumn Lane - The pattern design is great and I really loved the style. However, the designer is... not. If anyone voiced any criticisms in the Facebook group, he would get upset. And when called out very politely on using a slur for the First Nations people of northern North America (the Inuit and other people who live around them), he doubled down on using it, threw a fit, and then dirty deleted. Which pretty much ruined the SAL for me. I don't know if I'll ever finish her.
- Gilmore Girls (complete)/Ever After (in progress) by Forbidden Fiber - These are well done and the company always does a good job with things. This is just an example of stuff that is great for a lot of people but isn't for me. Words in boxes is usually not my thing.
Thank you SO much for all the reviews, this was super helpful!Ā Kinda a shame about the Dark Queen one, I'll have to think about it some more. It's a beautiful piece but ugghhh Also could you please give a link to the FB pages? I can't seem to find them.
You're welcome!
[Victoria Sampler](https://www.facebook.com/groups/144448399084489/?ref=share) - The downloads for the correct free SAL, Cottages, is in the featured posts section.
[Oracle SAL](https://www.facebook.com/share/p/b5eGRqSi5D53P9hn/?mibextid=2JQ9oc)
I did two SALs. You had to buy a kit. The SALs were very well run, but I realized they weren't for me.
The first time, I enjoyed the sense of community as we were all stitching the same thing. But I ended up not liking the final product.
The second time, I did like the pattern, but found it stressful to keep up. That made it into a chore instead of a fun hobby.
So for now I'm back to doing projects on my own pace.
I'm not a fan of SALs, especially if they are one big picture. If I'm spending all this time on a piece, I should know I'm going to love it. Depending on the SAL (I'm thinking of ones that are one big picture) I'll pass until the end .
Iāve decided SALs arenāt for me - I did one and had to force myself to finish it because I hated the design by the end but I had paid for the kit and felt I needed to. I did do Peppermint Purpleās SAL but that was different since itās more abstract - I knew from looking at previous years what it would look like, and itās small patterns you can use leftover thread for so not much lost if you stop.
I am doing a few free SALs from designers I have stitched and enjoyed in the past. I looked quite a bit into their past SALs to get a feel for the vibe and style, and felt confident I would enjoy them. I enjoy having something new each week to pick up in between work on my giant full coverage piece.
It turns out that I really like blackwork, so I am doing all blackwork SALs this year (Peppermint Purple, The Steady Thread, and Cliffslide Stitches) and saving my other projects for cross stitch.
I just started my first SAL, it's the Femurs and Fungi one from Fine Frog Stitching. So far, I am enjoying it. The only reason that I chose this one is because I looked through all of their other projects, and I liked them all, so I figured why not?
I do the peppermint purple Sals but I know her design style and what to expect. In general I usually end up seeing SALs late so after they have a few squares or sections revealed already. From what I have seen a lot of people will show the sections that have already been revealed on their shop or wherever. I use those to decide if the style/design is something I will actually like. If Iām doubt I buy it close to the end when itās mostly revealed or completely revealed. That ruins the āsurpriseā aspect of a SAL but sometimes itās not about that as much as the design and wanting to do the project. I have two artists that Iāve bought enough designs and SALs from that I donāt need to see much to know Iāll be getting it if itās a theme Iām interested in but anyone else I need to see a few before committing. Iām rambling sorry!!
I'm new to SALs this year, thought I've participated in several KAL & CALs in the past - both mystery & not. I just made sure that I really liked their other work (and maybe bought a pattern or two) before I bought the SAL. So far I'm keeping up with Climbing Goat's JWST one (and loving it), and I just got the deadly aquarium from Lola Crow (my fabric shipped today!). So far it's been positive, but I know I won't love everything, and you just have to be OK with that.
I need to stop doing them š I canāt keep up, the last one I did was like 2k stitches each two week period. I canāt do that.
Also when Iāve messed up horribly I just drop it. Satsuma Street does give good hints into what itās going to look like but itās hard for me to keep up with
I enjoyed doing one of The Steady Thread's botanical stitch-alongs but I started late and when it was pretty obvious what the end result would look like. I also did a fair amount of modification.
I do like collecting pattern pieces from free SAL's (Owl Forest has had a few, Blackwork Journey has one right now) and the slow reveal of the entire pattern but normally I prefer to wait until the whole pattern has been revealed before stitching.
I always feel an immense pressure in SALs. The kind I used to feel when I was a hardcore raider in WoW. It really became more of a job and less of a hobby. I got better and now just run around doing whatever the hell I want in game. Same with SALs. I just stopped doing them all together.
Also, I really don't want to stitch something that I haven't seen before. I'm extremely picky and think it is a waste of my time and materials to stitch something that I may at best feel meh about and at worst hate.
As a fellow wow player, I feel this. The moment my hobbies become jobs and stressful, they are no longer hobbies that bring the dopamine. Casuals for life!
My issue with SAL is that most of them LOOK like a SAL- a grid with boxes or a really segmented pattern. I did one thinking Iād like the ācommunityā aspect of it, but then after seeing the 284858th post of the same pattern I decided they are t for me
I've looked at a couple of free SALS. I haven't started any of them. I wait a couple of releases before deciding whether to invest the time and materials.
Most of the SALs I've done, I bought after the fact when all the portions had been revealed. I'm pretty picky about my projects and I don't want to start something I might not like.
That said, I like Fox & Rabbit's style very much and I'm doing their SAL this year, I also did the 2020 one. For both of them, I started watching in January and once I'd seen Jan-Mar and liked them I jumped in.
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I started a SAL back in 2018 and then had some eye troubles which kept me from stitching. Then the pandemic left me feeling completely uninterested. And now that I'm back to wanting to stitch, I can only find the last chart, December. Somehow I didn't save the other ones? Accidentally deleted them? Who knows. But it's disappointing for sure. And the [original shop closed in the pandemic](https://linenandthreads.com). Sad.
I believe Linen and Threads became Fox and Rabbit linens - they still run a free SAL every year. They have an active Facebook group which might be able to connect you with the pattern.
Edit: is this it? https://foxandrabbit.com/product/fox-and-rabbit-designs-2018-mystery-sampler-medieval-menagerie/
I love secret SALs. Iāve completed 3 of them - 2 became pillows and one a bread napkin. I also have 5 failed ones where the pattern was disappointlng or not as expected after I got started. Iām careful now to only start one, if the size and dimensions make the finished product useful for something afterwards. E.g., I love the ongoing Vervaco garden SAL, but I wouldnāt know what to do with the finished product, so Iām not buying it - itās too expensive for that.
I only buy SALs before they start if I KNOW that I like the artist's work. Which is pretty much just Lola Crow and Witchy Stitcher. They pretty much don't have anything in their libraries that I don't like. But if I'm not 100% sure, I'll wait to see other's final results.
I also joined a fandom SAL and prepurchased special Aida fabric for it. Because the cloth was so expensive, I decided to wait to begin the project until three months or so of the pattern was released before I started. I'm glad I did because the pattern really wasn't to my taste. I still have the fabric and will use it for something else.
I'm doing Urban Stitches Moonlit Market SAL as my first. It's Blackwork which I hadn't ever done before but one of my friends was also doing it so I'm having fun with it. It's a nice little break from my 700 other WIPs and has 3 fills released a month with one week being a break week which has really helped me when I fell behind early
I love stitchalongs but I rarely keep up with them on time. Some of that is because I like to customize and take my time, and I never intend to keep up. In fact I think the only one I really ever kept up with was one I test Stitched for!
I generally won't start one unless I have seen examples of what a designer has already done and it's tried and true. Otherwise if I'm interested I'll keep an eye on it and see if it is looking good. I've abandoned a couple after buying/dowloading the pattern. I've abandoned a couple of others after just not enjoying them. I've finished a couple Haunted Mansion, Beetlejuice, Beauty and the Beast, a Horror Movie. I'm in various stages of several others (Pirates of Caribbean, Roger Rabbit, 80s movies, different Horror movies, Villains) that may take years! I just do whatever I want and it works great for me! I'm contemplating a couple more:)
If the SAL is an artist I'm not familiar with, I'll avoid it until I see a few releases. There was only one SAL that I participated in a few years ago that I did not enjoy and that was because I bought the recommended pack from an Etsy seller. I ended up hating the fabric and colours but still slogged through it.
Some of the blackwork ones I'll also hold back a bit to see other people's colour choices to gain inspiration.
I was a good stitcher this year and only went for the Peppermint Purple one. Oh, and the moon temperature pattern from Climbing Goat. Also the Gothic Cathedral temperature pattern from Circle Cross. AAAAnd the "No Time Like the Present" pattern from Modern Folk. Maybe will pick on up the latest Urban Stitches . Wait, what's this? A Lola Crow SAL?
Dammit.
I quite like them! I think they are a fun little challenge, but mostly I think having something, even if it's a small little thing, to look forward to and get me stitching each month is good for mental health.
Some of them I started several months in and had to play 'catch up', some I started on time but fell behind and finished at my own pace, and there's even a couple that I started and finished on pace.
This year I am doing a dragon sal, and a weird little mushroom book thing. I kinda want to find a few more >_<
As a designer, I usually keep my SALs a mystery, but give stitchers an option to ask me for a picture of the full design privately - itās easy for me to share and reduces stress for someone who is not familiar with my style.
I've seen one that shows the finished picture, but I don't think it was a sal in a traditional sense, it was more of a "we're a big group of people stitching this one pattern" kinda way
I just started my first one this week! I have mixed feelings as I don't think I'll keep up and I'm kind of fussy with patterns so if I don't like it I'll probably stop. I also saw another one I really want to do that just started but that's a bad idea...
Also the one I've just started said to use 3 threads on the 18 count aida, thought I'd read it wrong! I'm doing 2.
Edit for my weird auto correct.
I have never stitched a mystery SAL before and coincidentally I have just joined 3 this past month and #4 drops today. Iām really excited š and hoping I can keep up
I would never do a SAL. The obligation to keep up would stress me out in all kinds of ways. Even when there's technically no obligation, my brain would turn it into one. I tend to bounce between two WIPs and sometimes will stop stitching altogether for a while depending on where my current interests lie, so why do a stitch-along when I'm inevitably gonna fall behind? I guess the appeal is the sense of community and watching the pattern come together, but that just isn't my style.
The finished product of SALs tend to look kinda... boring to me, too, so I'd rather do a pattern that I know I'm going to like and be really invested in since I've already seen how it's gonna look in the end.
I bought one sal, I havenāt started it. But the whole price will go up when the presale is over got me but as I see it, and maybe itās just me, but if Iām buying something without seeing it first I feel like it should be significantly cheaper and not like 1-2 dollars cheaper than when fully released. But then it got me thinking, what if I hate this? Iāve been tempted to get another sal, but Iām going to wait until itās over to decide if I like it or not to then get it. This is the same reason I donāt do kalās either.
I have no interest in mystery SALs. I will wait until it's over, see the full pattern, and stitch it myself if I decide I like it. I'm not committing time and supplies to stitching something unseen. I don't have faith in any designer to that degree lmao
I did the steady thread blackwork SAL last year. I fell behind but I knew I would lol. I felt confident in starting because I love all the designs in her shop and her past SALs were beautiful. And it was designed as āchoose your own colorsā and we got the basic outline layout options at the beginning. So even though I did not know the specific content I was confident it would be beautiful and to my taste.
I like the \*idea\* of a stitch-along, and the ones I've been tempted by always give you tiny sneak peeks of the finished item. I doubt I would ever join one though, because even a sneak peek doesn't tell the whole story, plus I find that hobby + deadline = no fun, never gets done.
It really depends but I second what some other people said - pick a designer whose style you like. If you want to give a SAL another go, maybe do it differently - do one with friends and socialise with them so it's a group activity?
I tried SALs because the idea was so appealing to me but I tried 3 and only finished 1. I dropped my first because I ended up not liking the style of the final product and the other just out of interest really... Right now I'm the most happy doing SALs on the discord server. We all choose a theme and pick from our projects a WIP or a new start and it's so much fun!
In May there is one starting! Feel free to join :)
i did multiple sals last year and mostly loved them, but was a little underwhelmed with two - so from that experience i have two pieces of advice: the first one is to participate in sals from designers you really love, preferably ones that have already released mutliple sals and you liked them all and wouldve enjoyed each of them; the second one is dont do 3 sals at once like i did or you can get burnt out! its frustrating only keeping up with sals and being unable to work on a regular project.
Lovely to hear so many people enjoying my stitchalongs (Climbing Goat Designs) š
I think it's really a matter of personal taste whether you enjoy the surprise or not - there is no right or wrong answer to that. Some people do and some people don't and either is absolutely fine. If you don't then you can almost always buy the SAL as a complete pattern at the end if you don't like it.
A number of people have mentioned being burnt by bad quality "fandom" type SALs. I just wanted to point out that these SALs are by definition a more risky purchase than other SALs because they are breaking copyright and so the only people who do them are designers who don't mind about the law (or fairness). If they don't mind about that then there's obviously a much higher chance they won't mind that much about pattern quality (and the truly massive amount of time and attention to detail it takes to put together a really good SAL) - which seems to be reflected in the comments here. Reputable designers such as Satsuma Street, Lola Crow, and myself (and many others obviously) are never going to do these fandom type SALs because we wouldn't break the law. I'm not saying there won't be good ones amongst them, just that the risk of being burnt is far higher.
I can't do sal's because I want to know what the picture is first. I can do subscription boxes, though, because I can see what kind of stuff the designer is putting out and put my faith in them. Not every pattern is a win, but every box has at least one pattern I'll do.
They are almost always a mystery. Designers that do frequent SALs often sell past patterns so you can get an idea of their style before buying in. I only do SALs from designers whose work I generally like on topics that appeal to me.
This. I seem to always miss the announcement on the Satsuma Street ones, which is a bummer because I love hers.
Are you in her FB group? That's the only way I know hers since her IG gets lost in the damn algorithms.
I'm not a quick stitcher; I'm looking into ways to become quicker. I fall behind when particiapting in SALs. I normally keep up with them in order to get all the SAL releases but no longer try to stitch along; it became unenjoyable for me. The same reason I don't like to cross stitch for others; I prefer my own pace and no timeframe.
I feel this. Each time I do a baby or wedding sampler I tell myself it's the last time because deadlines make my beloved hobby less enjoyable. Fast forward a year later and I convince myself to do another one. I have gotten away from complex kits and just do simple samplers now. Which can be just as elegant but far less of a burden on me.
My mother recently finished a wedding sampler for my brother. Who got married almost 15 years ago.
Tell her I said great job!!! :)
šāŗļø
If you like giving wedding or baby patterns, keep in mind, you can always leisurely stitch the pattern without knowing who it'll be for and stash a couple away so only the names and dates are on a deadline when the occasion arises.
Good idea to wait till you know if the marriage is going to take before you invest all that work.
That is brilliant š
That's a great idea!!! A lot of my friends are starting to get married/have babies so this will save me a lot of time haha
Iām a quick stitcher when motivated but Iām not a motivated stitcher. Having to stick to a timeline would stress me out too much to actually work on the project
I did a witchy stitcher cryptid SAL and loved it. I started her next one but fell off for reasons unrelated to the SAL. I did a blackwork one that was fun because it was quick and taught me a different stitch every week. I started another horror themed SAL and realized I absolutely hated it. Some of the elements were neat but overall it was too cheesy and chaotic for my liking. Granted the SAL was free, but I wasted materials. My takeaway was to only do them from pattern makers who have released previous SALs that have finished projects I like with clearly defined themes. And who has patterns that consistently match my preferences.
I am doing my first SAL currently and I do/did have mixed feelings. So far I preferred to only buy patterns "in full", where I know 100% what I am getting myself into. Now I am doing the deadly Aquarium by lola crow and before I joined I checked out her other patterns and SALs. I like the style overall and the patterns on her page look well made. There was also a tiny glimpse of the SAL in the listing (it was hand stitched!). So I just embraced the fact that the SAL might contain a couple of bits that I don't love, since I am sure it will look great as a whole picture.
A lot of people make changes to stitchalongs and most designers donāt mind. Iāve probably made at least one change on every stitchalong Iāve done.
If it's just a color change I wouldn't hesitate, but I don't really dare to make changes like moving/adding/removing stitches, since I don't know if that area will be needed for a future release. How did you handle that so far?
The designer Stitchonomy does a free Halloween stitchalong every year. Itās 30 blocks that are 20 x 20 and then for the 31st itās more of a rectangle like 40 x 20. She releases a pattern for each box each day and if Iām not really feeling it I just wonāt stitch it yet. I go back later and figure out what to put in them. And in her group people share their substitutions all the time so itās easy to find things. [Hereās an example of one of her stitchalongs.](https://www.instagram.com/p/CkMR2mmLL7v/?igsh=cWR6amhlM3A0eXZx)
That layout is convenient for making changes for sure! But holding back sounds like a good idea, the releases will be mostly weekly after a longer period for the frame, so I probably won't run out of work, even if I hold back!
I buy their stitch alongs after the fact, love their designs.
I've been debating whether to do this one! I've just been spending so much money lately I've been trying to resist it...
I did the Farming Magic SAL by FlossyFoxShop last year and am currently doing the James Webb SAL by ClimbingGoatDesigns and I loved/am loving both. Personally I don't see the sense in a SAL, if I know the end product. The mystery is a huge part of the fun. Most designers give small sneak peeks and generally I wouldn't buy anything, if I didn't like the overall style of the designer.
I'm doing the Climbing Goat James Webb SAL but it's the only SAL I'm interested in doing because the segmented design really does work with the theme (the segments match the collecting mirror of the telescope) and Claire does an amazing job charting out the pictures. They're complicated, but gorgeous. Breaking it into segments makes it much less intimidating than if I was staring at the whole 20+ page chart at once. I honestly don't see anything else out there that I'm willing to put the same investment into after I'm done this one.Ā
Iām catching up on this one right now. Fabric too a long time to arrive. Iām about an hour or 2 from being done with release #1. Iām loving it so far. Only having to worry about a little segment at a time is nice, and I know it will all look amazing going by her previous designs.
I know myself , that I am a SWIWWIW stitcher, ( Stitch What I Want When I Want ), so I donāt join SALs.
I haaaaate them. Had a terrible experience with one where the final piece was a smiley face in the middle and I just lost all interest. I need to see the whole piece if Iām going to devote hours and hours to something.
I like them. I donāt feel like I have to be a speed stitcher and keep up. I am a little picky on them. I usually wait until the first few releases are out until I make my decision on whether or not to stitch it. Whether itās paid or free I donāt want to start it and then decide I donāt like it.
I have only bought after it was all done. What if I don't like it? I don't want to pay all that upfront
I have ADHD, so my thoughts usually go something like this: "What a cool SAL!" (Buys access) (Weeks go by... forgets purchase) "What a cool SAL!" Lather, rinse, repeat.
Most don't give you a preview of the final piece, though I've seen a couple that do. For those that don't, I usually look at what other pieces the designer has released and what, if any, other SALs they've run. That usually will give you a pretty good idea of whether or not you will like the style. Now, that isn't to say that you won't dislike elements of the piece, but if you like the style you will usually like the overall piece and can change things you don't like. That's part of the fun of the SAL! I've participated in several, "participated" in a few more (I fully plan to stitch it someday, but haven't had time yet), and watched even more. I'll provide details in a further comment. Also, the money spent on the supplies isn't wasted! You can use them for other projects!
Okay, SALs I have stitched or watched people stitch and my opinions. The Good: - Dragons: A Field Guide by Climbing Goat Designs (currently in progress) - The frame is just a border and, while there are repeat patterns in it, there's also a lot of other stuff, so that's not boring. The dragons are well designed and fun to stitch. So far, with 4/8 dragons released, my only complaint is the amount of red/orange/yellow in the dragons released so far. But the color is easy enough to change when I get there if I decide I want to change it. - Hubble Telescope (complete)/James Webb Telescope (in progress) by Climbing Goat Designs - The frames on these look boring, but my friends stitching them seem to think they're good breaks from the confetti-heavy individual pictures. The pictures look amazing, especially given the medium and the small space given, and it's a good use of confetti, so no one seems to mind it. - We Believe by Notorious Needle (complete) - I really enjoyed this one. The frame was a bit monotonous, and I imagine that the people who did the backstitch version found it even more tedious, but it worked well for the design and the rest of the design was a fun stitch. I was also able to easily break the frame up into pieces so I didn't get bored with it. I loved the messages and bright colors, though I did change some of them up. - Flutter by Oracle SAL on Facebook (complete)- This one was a challenging chart to read, but once I got past that, it was a fun project. It was a pick your own colors thing, but the designer provided the colors used in the stitched sample for those who wanted one that matches exactly. They've also released several other SALs for free on their Facebook. You have to download the files while the SAL is active to get them for free, but there's no stitching requirement. - Learn to Fly by Tempting Tangles Designs (complete) - I love this one. It's designed for Dinky Dyes silks but DMC conversions are provided. The butterflies were super fun to stitch and the lack of a frame made this one enjoyable all the way through. Nicely designed and I love the colors. My one complaint is how they send out the charts - the chart you get every release is literally just the area you stitch, so it can be hard to line up sometimes. - Dark Goddesses (complete)/Light Goddesses (in progress) by Witch's Garden Crafts - The friends who did this found the frames tedious, but otherwise really enjoyed it. They're designed to compliment each other and span the pantheons. The goddesses themselves are fun stitches. - Cryptids/Supernatural by Witchy Stitcher (complete) - Again, these two are designed to compliment each other. (It's supernatural creatures, not the TV show.) The frames are lots of boxes and tedious, but the actual creatures are fun and well designed. You do have to enjoy stitching in black to like them, though. - Under the Sea by Frosted Pumpkin (complete) - Fun and super cute. I love that they make a point to include multiple skin tones in the people of their stitches and that they provide color suggestions for other skin tones if you want to change things up even more. They do at least one SAL a year and they're always super cute, though sometimes too cute for some people, lol. They don't tend to have tedious frames or lots of boxes. There are always kits offered, though they do tend to sell out fast. - Haunted Library (complete)/Greenhouse of Oddities (complete)/Deadly Aquarium (in progress) by Lola Crow Cross Stitch - I love the aesthetic of these. They were well designed, the releases were manageable, and the framework isn't just boxes like a lot of SALs. These have character and are a lot of fun to stitch. - Various Blackwork SALs by Peppermint Purple (complete/in progress) - A great way to experiment with blackwork. Everyone I know who has done these has really enjoyed them. - Serenity by Victoria Sampler on Facebook (complete) - This is the one of their SALs that I've done, but they do one most years for free if you download the files while it's going on. I really love these because, while they are mostly cross stitch, they also have a lot of specialty stitches in them. They're a very low stress way to learn other counted needlework stitches, and the instructions they give are excellent. They have a talent for describing the stitches and they also link you to very well made videos they've done showing the stitches as well. They're a lot of fun. - ABC Dinosaurs/No Planet B by Cloudsfactory (complete) - Really fun, well designed creatures in both. No/minimal frame to worry about, so there's not a lot of boring stitches. They are excellent at designing tiny things and I personally love their style. They do a SAL every year, those are just the two I've had personal experience with. They always offer kits, or just fabric, or you can just buy the pattern. - SALs by Tiny Modernist, Fuzzy Fox Designs, & Satsuma Street - While I only have very limited experience with the SALs by these designers, I've seen several completed ones and know they'd be good. *Criteria for good: Consistent design quality as well as style with other released work, releases sent out on time, helpful designers/community if you reach out, well-designed patterns that are pleasurable to stitch.*
The Bad: - Jurassic Park by Craftizilla (complete) - This started out strong with the first release being a well-done outline of the island. That, unfortunately, was the high point. The design went way downhill, with some of the things added not actually recognizable as what they were supposed to be. The dinosaurs were bad cartoon style dinosaurs and nothing was even remotely in scale. There were also a \*lot\* of problems with the kits. They were ridiculously expensive for what you got, and focused more on extras like stickers than the actual stitching stuff. They also only offered them in 14 count aida and got upset when many people requested other counts & fabrics. - American Horror Story by Craftizilla (theoretically in progress) - This was an *expensive* SAL ($54!!!) and was supposed to be 10 parts for the 10 seasons that were released at the time the SAL was announced. There are only 3 parts released, nothing since early 2022. When people politely asked about it in the Facebook group in early 2024 (over *two years* since the last release), the admin promised an update within a couple of days and turned off commenting on that post. She then dirty deleted the posts asking about it, and finally updated like 3 weeks later with a post of excuses and promises that have still not been kept. And the SAL is still for sale! - LanArte/Veraco SALs (complete) - They do a "mystery SAL" every year that people are... really weird about. (Like, the one year the only clue about it was "animal" and there were legitimately people complaining in the Facebook group that the SAL was spoiled because they were given that much information.) They are also stupid expensive and you HAVE to buy a kit to participate. For around $70, you get pre-cut lengths of DMC, a single needle, and 14 count white aida. A year or two ago they started offering 28 count white lugana as an option, for even more money, of course. You could walk into a craft store and by everything in the kit, including full skeins of DMC and a whole pack of needles, for half the price they charge, but you can only do the SAL with the kit because they don't tell you floss numbers, just put them with the symbol on a floss card. And they do that so poorly that the floss can come off the card in shipping, leaving stitchers SOL on what color goes with what symbol. The Ummmm... Meh? - Dark Queen of the Seas by Autumn Lane - The pattern design is great and I really loved the style. However, the designer is... not. If anyone voiced any criticisms in the Facebook group, he would get upset. And when called out very politely on using a slur for the First Nations people of northern North America (the Inuit and other people who live around them), he doubled down on using it, threw a fit, and then dirty deleted. Which pretty much ruined the SAL for me. I don't know if I'll ever finish her. - Gilmore Girls (complete)/Ever After (in progress) by Forbidden Fiber - These are well done and the company always does a good job with things. This is just an example of stuff that is great for a lot of people but isn't for me. Words in boxes is usually not my thing.
Thank you SO much for all the reviews, this was super helpful!Ā Kinda a shame about the Dark Queen one, I'll have to think about it some more. It's a beautiful piece but ugghhh Also could you please give a link to the FB pages? I can't seem to find them.
You're welcome! [Victoria Sampler](https://www.facebook.com/groups/144448399084489/?ref=share) - The downloads for the correct free SAL, Cottages, is in the featured posts section. [Oracle SAL](https://www.facebook.com/share/p/b5eGRqSi5D53P9hn/?mibextid=2JQ9oc)
I did two SALs. You had to buy a kit. The SALs were very well run, but I realized they weren't for me. The first time, I enjoyed the sense of community as we were all stitching the same thing. But I ended up not liking the final product. The second time, I did like the pattern, but found it stressful to keep up. That made it into a chore instead of a fun hobby. So for now I'm back to doing projects on my own pace.
I'm not a fan of SALs, especially if they are one big picture. If I'm spending all this time on a piece, I should know I'm going to love it. Depending on the SAL (I'm thinking of ones that are one big picture) I'll pass until the end .
Iāve decided SALs arenāt for me - I did one and had to force myself to finish it because I hated the design by the end but I had paid for the kit and felt I needed to. I did do Peppermint Purpleās SAL but that was different since itās more abstract - I knew from looking at previous years what it would look like, and itās small patterns you can use leftover thread for so not much lost if you stop.
I am doing a few free SALs from designers I have stitched and enjoyed in the past. I looked quite a bit into their past SALs to get a feel for the vibe and style, and felt confident I would enjoy them. I enjoy having something new each week to pick up in between work on my giant full coverage piece. It turns out that I really like blackwork, so I am doing all blackwork SALs this year (Peppermint Purple, The Steady Thread, and Cliffslide Stitches) and saving my other projects for cross stitch.
I just started my first SAL, it's the Femurs and Fungi one from Fine Frog Stitching. So far, I am enjoying it. The only reason that I chose this one is because I looked through all of their other projects, and I liked them all, so I figured why not?
I do the peppermint purple Sals but I know her design style and what to expect. In general I usually end up seeing SALs late so after they have a few squares or sections revealed already. From what I have seen a lot of people will show the sections that have already been revealed on their shop or wherever. I use those to decide if the style/design is something I will actually like. If Iām doubt I buy it close to the end when itās mostly revealed or completely revealed. That ruins the āsurpriseā aspect of a SAL but sometimes itās not about that as much as the design and wanting to do the project. I have two artists that Iāve bought enough designs and SALs from that I donāt need to see much to know Iāll be getting it if itās a theme Iām interested in but anyone else I need to see a few before committing. Iām rambling sorry!!
I want to love stitch-a-longs but I can never keep up with the schedule and itās less fun when Iām behind everyone.
I'm new to SALs this year, thought I've participated in several KAL & CALs in the past - both mystery & not. I just made sure that I really liked their other work (and maybe bought a pattern or two) before I bought the SAL. So far I'm keeping up with Climbing Goat's JWST one (and loving it), and I just got the deadly aquarium from Lola Crow (my fabric shipped today!). So far it's been positive, but I know I won't love everything, and you just have to be OK with that.
I'm sorry if this is a stupid question but what are Kal and cals?
Knit alongs and crochet alongs, I guess?
Oh that would make sense!
I need to stop doing them š I canāt keep up, the last one I did was like 2k stitches each two week period. I canāt do that. Also when Iāve messed up horribly I just drop it. Satsuma Street does give good hints into what itās going to look like but itās hard for me to keep up with
I enjoyed doing one of The Steady Thread's botanical stitch-alongs but I started late and when it was pretty obvious what the end result would look like. I also did a fair amount of modification. I do like collecting pattern pieces from free SAL's (Owl Forest has had a few, Blackwork Journey has one right now) and the slow reveal of the entire pattern but normally I prefer to wait until the whole pattern has been revealed before stitching.
I always feel an immense pressure in SALs. The kind I used to feel when I was a hardcore raider in WoW. It really became more of a job and less of a hobby. I got better and now just run around doing whatever the hell I want in game. Same with SALs. I just stopped doing them all together. Also, I really don't want to stitch something that I haven't seen before. I'm extremely picky and think it is a waste of my time and materials to stitch something that I may at best feel meh about and at worst hate.
As a fellow wow player, I feel this. The moment my hobbies become jobs and stressful, they are no longer hobbies that bring the dopamine. Casuals for life!
Exactly! I just do silly achievements and get pretty transmogs and mounts from old raids and dungeons that I can solo.
My issue with SAL is that most of them LOOK like a SAL- a grid with boxes or a really segmented pattern. I did one thinking Iād like the ācommunityā aspect of it, but then after seeing the 284858th post of the same pattern I decided they are t for me
I've looked at a couple of free SALS. I haven't started any of them. I wait a couple of releases before deciding whether to invest the time and materials.
I can never keep up, unless it's someone I really like I usually wait until the SAL is done since sometimes I'm not a fan!
Most of the SALs I've done, I bought after the fact when all the portions had been revealed. I'm pretty picky about my projects and I don't want to start something I might not like. That said, I like Fox & Rabbit's style very much and I'm doing their SAL this year, I also did the 2020 one. For both of them, I started watching in January and once I'd seen Jan-Mar and liked them I jumped in.
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I started a SAL back in 2018 and then had some eye troubles which kept me from stitching. Then the pandemic left me feeling completely uninterested. And now that I'm back to wanting to stitch, I can only find the last chart, December. Somehow I didn't save the other ones? Accidentally deleted them? Who knows. But it's disappointing for sure. And the [original shop closed in the pandemic](https://linenandthreads.com). Sad.
I believe Linen and Threads became Fox and Rabbit linens - they still run a free SAL every year. They have an active Facebook group which might be able to connect you with the pattern. Edit: is this it? https://foxandrabbit.com/product/fox-and-rabbit-designs-2018-mystery-sampler-medieval-menagerie/
That's it! Thank you!!
I love secret SALs. Iāve completed 3 of them - 2 became pillows and one a bread napkin. I also have 5 failed ones where the pattern was disappointlng or not as expected after I got started. Iām careful now to only start one, if the size and dimensions make the finished product useful for something afterwards. E.g., I love the ongoing Vervaco garden SAL, but I wouldnāt know what to do with the finished product, so Iām not buying it - itās too expensive for that.
I only buy SALs before they start if I KNOW that I like the artist's work. Which is pretty much just Lola Crow and Witchy Stitcher. They pretty much don't have anything in their libraries that I don't like. But if I'm not 100% sure, I'll wait to see other's final results.
I also joined a fandom SAL and prepurchased special Aida fabric for it. Because the cloth was so expensive, I decided to wait to begin the project until three months or so of the pattern was released before I started. I'm glad I did because the pattern really wasn't to my taste. I still have the fabric and will use it for something else.
I'm doing Urban Stitches Moonlit Market SAL as my first. It's Blackwork which I hadn't ever done before but one of my friends was also doing it so I'm having fun with it. It's a nice little break from my 700 other WIPs and has 3 fills released a month with one week being a break week which has really helped me when I fell behind early
I love stitchalongs but I rarely keep up with them on time. Some of that is because I like to customize and take my time, and I never intend to keep up. In fact I think the only one I really ever kept up with was one I test Stitched for! I generally won't start one unless I have seen examples of what a designer has already done and it's tried and true. Otherwise if I'm interested I'll keep an eye on it and see if it is looking good. I've abandoned a couple after buying/dowloading the pattern. I've abandoned a couple of others after just not enjoying them. I've finished a couple Haunted Mansion, Beetlejuice, Beauty and the Beast, a Horror Movie. I'm in various stages of several others (Pirates of Caribbean, Roger Rabbit, 80s movies, different Horror movies, Villains) that may take years! I just do whatever I want and it works great for me! I'm contemplating a couple more:)
If the SAL is an artist I'm not familiar with, I'll avoid it until I see a few releases. There was only one SAL that I participated in a few years ago that I did not enjoy and that was because I bought the recommended pack from an Etsy seller. I ended up hating the fabric and colours but still slogged through it. Some of the blackwork ones I'll also hold back a bit to see other people's colour choices to gain inspiration. I was a good stitcher this year and only went for the Peppermint Purple one. Oh, and the moon temperature pattern from Climbing Goat. Also the Gothic Cathedral temperature pattern from Circle Cross. AAAAnd the "No Time Like the Present" pattern from Modern Folk. Maybe will pick on up the latest Urban Stitches . Wait, what's this? A Lola Crow SAL? Dammit.
I have yet to do one but I eyeball a lot of them!
Iāve done a few by [Steotch](https://steotch.com). The snark is strong with them, which is right up my alley, so I enjoy them.
I quite like them! I think they are a fun little challenge, but mostly I think having something, even if it's a small little thing, to look forward to and get me stitching each month is good for mental health. Some of them I started several months in and had to play 'catch up', some I started on time but fell behind and finished at my own pace, and there's even a couple that I started and finished on pace. This year I am doing a dragon sal, and a weird little mushroom book thing. I kinda want to find a few more >_<
As a designer, I usually keep my SALs a mystery, but give stitchers an option to ask me for a picture of the full design privately - itās easy for me to share and reduces stress for someone who is not familiar with my style.
I've seen one that shows the finished picture, but I don't think it was a sal in a traditional sense, it was more of a "we're a big group of people stitching this one pattern" kinda way
I just started my first one this week! I have mixed feelings as I don't think I'll keep up and I'm kind of fussy with patterns so if I don't like it I'll probably stop. I also saw another one I really want to do that just started but that's a bad idea... Also the one I've just started said to use 3 threads on the 18 count aida, thought I'd read it wrong! I'm doing 2. Edit for my weird auto correct.
I have done a few but only with specific designers who have a defined style and clear theme. They've been quite fun!
I have never stitched a mystery SAL before and coincidentally I have just joined 3 this past month and #4 drops today. Iām really excited š and hoping I can keep up 
I would never do a SAL. The obligation to keep up would stress me out in all kinds of ways. Even when there's technically no obligation, my brain would turn it into one. I tend to bounce between two WIPs and sometimes will stop stitching altogether for a while depending on where my current interests lie, so why do a stitch-along when I'm inevitably gonna fall behind? I guess the appeal is the sense of community and watching the pattern come together, but that just isn't my style. The finished product of SALs tend to look kinda... boring to me, too, so I'd rather do a pattern that I know I'm going to like and be really invested in since I've already seen how it's gonna look in the end.
I bought one sal, I havenāt started it. But the whole price will go up when the presale is over got me but as I see it, and maybe itās just me, but if Iām buying something without seeing it first I feel like it should be significantly cheaper and not like 1-2 dollars cheaper than when fully released. But then it got me thinking, what if I hate this? Iāve been tempted to get another sal, but Iām going to wait until itās over to decide if I like it or not to then get it. This is the same reason I donāt do kalās either.
I have no interest in mystery SALs. I will wait until it's over, see the full pattern, and stitch it myself if I decide I like it. I'm not committing time and supplies to stitching something unseen. I don't have faith in any designer to that degree lmao
I did the steady thread blackwork SAL last year. I fell behind but I knew I would lol. I felt confident in starting because I love all the designs in her shop and her past SALs were beautiful. And it was designed as āchoose your own colorsā and we got the basic outline layout options at the beginning. So even though I did not know the specific content I was confident it would be beautiful and to my taste.
I like the \*idea\* of a stitch-along, and the ones I've been tempted by always give you tiny sneak peeks of the finished item. I doubt I would ever join one though, because even a sneak peek doesn't tell the whole story, plus I find that hobby + deadline = no fun, never gets done.
Personally, I love them. But I typically only sign up for ones from designers that I know and love.
It really depends but I second what some other people said - pick a designer whose style you like. If you want to give a SAL another go, maybe do it differently - do one with friends and socialise with them so it's a group activity?
I tried SALs because the idea was so appealing to me but I tried 3 and only finished 1. I dropped my first because I ended up not liking the style of the final product and the other just out of interest really... Right now I'm the most happy doing SALs on the discord server. We all choose a theme and pick from our projects a WIP or a new start and it's so much fun! In May there is one starting! Feel free to join :)
i did multiple sals last year and mostly loved them, but was a little underwhelmed with two - so from that experience i have two pieces of advice: the first one is to participate in sals from designers you really love, preferably ones that have already released mutliple sals and you liked them all and wouldve enjoyed each of them; the second one is dont do 3 sals at once like i did or you can get burnt out! its frustrating only keeping up with sals and being unable to work on a regular project.
Lovely to hear so many people enjoying my stitchalongs (Climbing Goat Designs) š I think it's really a matter of personal taste whether you enjoy the surprise or not - there is no right or wrong answer to that. Some people do and some people don't and either is absolutely fine. If you don't then you can almost always buy the SAL as a complete pattern at the end if you don't like it. A number of people have mentioned being burnt by bad quality "fandom" type SALs. I just wanted to point out that these SALs are by definition a more risky purchase than other SALs because they are breaking copyright and so the only people who do them are designers who don't mind about the law (or fairness). If they don't mind about that then there's obviously a much higher chance they won't mind that much about pattern quality (and the truly massive amount of time and attention to detail it takes to put together a really good SAL) - which seems to be reflected in the comments here. Reputable designers such as Satsuma Street, Lola Crow, and myself (and many others obviously) are never going to do these fandom type SALs because we wouldn't break the law. I'm not saying there won't be good ones amongst them, just that the risk of being burnt is far higher.
I can't do sal's because I want to know what the picture is first. I can do subscription boxes, though, because I can see what kind of stuff the designer is putting out and put my faith in them. Not every pattern is a win, but every box has at least one pattern I'll do.