In this episode, I share the pros and cons of a stitch along (SAL). You can listen to the episode below or keep scrolling to read the key takeaways.

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Pros and Cons of a Stitch Along

I know what you’re thinking – are there actually any cons to SALs? Well, yes. But that doesn’t mean that I don’t absolutely love them because I do. But they are not for everyone, and if you have yet to try them, this episode might help you decide whether to join your first one or not.

Or, if you have joined SALs in the past and not enjoyed this episode may still help you as I share some tips on combating the frustrations you might feel with them.

Before we start, though, just know that every designer will run theirs differently, and so some of these examples I give might not apply to all SALs. If something sounds particularly great, don’t assume every SAL has that – always check first. And on the flip side, if something sounds not so great, don’t write off all SALs. I’ve tried to keep it quite general, but of course, there are always differences.

Cons of SALs

I’m starting with the cons because I want to end on a happy note. As I read these, just know I’m not saying they are reasons I think you should never join a SAL, but just things to be aware of if you do join one. I know these cons because I speak to my community about the feelings that come up in a SAL, but it doesn’t stop them from joining in anyway.

You can feel behind

SALs have specific start and end dates of when they will run, as well as release dates for each part of the pattern. If you fall behind overall or on a particular week/month, you can start to feel like you are falling behind. This is not a great feeling because stitching is not a race. You are meant to try and enjoy the process.

Falling behind can make you stop stitching

This is kind of like when you try a new habit, such as drinking water every day. If you miss one day, you are more likely to stop altogether because you feel like you have already failed. The same can happen in SALs. Falling behind (which happens 99% of the time in my experience), can make you feel like there is no point in continuing with the SAL. You are already “off track” and won’t catch up, so you may as well just stitch it at a different time, which defeats the whole point of being in a SAL in the first place.

You can combat this, though. I fall behind on my own SALs all the time. But whenever a new part is coming out, I just start that part even if I didn’t finish the one before. This is something you can try too.

Just know everyone stitches at different speeds and has different amounts of time for stitching in their day. When I am breaking SALs up, I am always trying to figure out the right amount to release at one time, and I never can because there is no right amount. People will always be on track, and most will always be behind.

You might stitch too fast for it

Speaking of being on track, you might stitch a part so quickly that you are bored waiting for the next part to come out. Of course, the silver lining here is that you will have time for other projects. But if you only stitch one project at a time, or get impatient, this might be an issue. You might be in the groove, and you have no choice but to stop once you get to the end of that part.

You don’t like the pattern

This is a big one, especially if you are joining a SAL run by a designer you haven’t stitched before. Most of the time, designers do not show you the pattern you are stitching; it is a surprise. And that comes with some risk. No one wants to feel like they have wasted time and money on something they don’t like.

I am a designer who will let you see it before you join, though, so you might be able to look before you buy. This does ruin the surprise, though. But once you’re used to a designer, you usually have an idea of what you can expect, so you can stop looking before you join.

They’re usually a bit more expensive than just buying a pattern

This is because they are a lot more work. The pattern needs breaking up; you have to pay for some sort of hosting to gather everyone’s emails to send the parts out. I even do videos with mine. If you are someone who works on a lot of projects a year, the cost can start to add up if you are always joining new SALs.

They are the top 3 cons I have seen come up in my own community, but I am sure there are more. But let’s move on to the pros now.

Pros of SALs

I have a lot more to say here.

The keep you motivated

Joining a SAL can keep you motivated because you are seeing other people’s progress online. And if you’re not online, you can usually see the progress of the person running the SAL. Unless you join mine because I am usually behind. But they can also motivate you because they give you a clear way to stay on track with your stitching. You know each week or month, etc., how much you need to stitch to get something finished.

They have a specific end date

Having an end date means you are more likely to stitch. Why? Because if you have infinite time to do something, you will take an infinite time to do it. Not always, but most of the time. I know personally that I am much more likely to take the time to stitch a project that needs finishing on a specific date than I am to stitch something that can be finished “whenever”. Have you ever stitched something as a gift for someone and been shocked that you have managed to finish it, whilst struggling to finish something for yourself? There is something about deadlines that means we will find the time to make it happen.

They remind you to stitch/give you accountability

Most of the time, with a SAL, you will be getting the updates on the pattern in some sort of way, usually via email. Having that email hit your inbox each week reminds you to make time for stitching, and you feel that pull of accountability even though no one is making you stitch. I also usually do a quick video with each release, in part to help you with the pattern, but also so you can take the time while you are watching to sit and make some progress.

They cost more

This was a con, but I am also going to make it a pro due to something called the sunk cost fallacy. A study done on people who had baseball tickets proved that the more money you spend on something, the more likely you are to attend. And I know we can all think of examples of this. If you get a free ticket to a show that you weren’t that interested in, it’s much easier to forget about it or just not go. But if you saved for months for a show you really wanted to see, you will try much harder to ensure nothing gets in the way of you watching that show.

The same is true for cross stitch patterns. How many patterns have you bought on Etsy that were just a few pounds that are still sitting in your Etsy account, not even downloaded? Compare this to any SALs you have completed. Even if it is not a SAL, the more expensive the pattern, the more likely you are to start it, because you don’t want to feel like you wasted your money. Our brains hate waste!

You get finishing ideas

One of the hardest things about cross stitch is deciding what to do with it once it is finished. SALs can help with that, as you will be able to see what people do with the exact same project you have just finished. I also try to put some kind of finishing tutorial in most of my SALs. Not all of them, but 90% will have some idea of what you can do, and a lot of them have a tutorial on how to do it as well.

They’re fun!

Of course, the most important reason and the main one for joining a SAL – they are fun! I absolutely love running them, as many of you know, and I love joining them as well. When I run a SAL, I stitch it as if I am taking part, but usually just a bit ahead of the releases. I can’t say enough wonderful things about them, and I hope this helped you decide whether to join one or not in the future.

Extra episodes and posts

• What is a stitch along?
• 10 tools to make cross stitch easier
• How to organise your WIP projects
• Free Summer SAL 2023
• 5 Spring rituals