Can a handheld sewing machine replace your bulky one for quick projects?

HOUSTON – When you need to sew something simple, you don't need a bulky sewing machine. But you may want something faster than a plain needle and thread.

Magic Stitch claims it is the perfect device for these situations. The handheld, battery-operated sewing machine fits in the palm of your hand. 

Gloria Quackenbush of Champions Forest had several projects she could use the Magic Stitch for.

"I'm short and I'm always having to hem pants," she explained. "When I hand stitch them, they never look quite as good as I'd like them to."

The makers of Magic Stitch make quite a few claims, but the first one is the broadest. 

Claim No.1: It's so easy and safe a child can use it.

Quackenbush read the one-page instructions included in the Magic Stitch box. She tried to sew a piece of fabric first before she used the machine on her pants. Unfortunately, she couldn't get the Magic Stitch to hold a stitch after more than half a dozen tries. 

"This is the most frustrating thing I've happened upon in a long time," she said, after several attempts.

The small diagram on the instructions is not helpful in showing users how to properly thread the bobbin. Davis even looked for a tutorial on YouTube or anywhere online. All she found were negative reviews from other consumers.   

On Amazon, the product gets just two stars. One customer wrote "Just. Doesn't work. At all."

Verdict:

Quackenbush actually prefers sewing by hand over using the Magic Stitch. She cleaned up her review for morning TV. 

"It was not easier than hand stitching," she said.  "It frustrated the heck out of me, and I think it's a piece of crap." 

The other Magic Stitch claims that you can sew clothes while you're wearing them and making rounded, fancy stitches could not be tested because the machine wouldn't make a stitch at all. 

We paid $14.99 for Magic Stitch at Fry's Electronics. Quackenbush says you shouldn't waste your money.