A sewing machine you can hold in the palm of your hand? Strong enough to sew through denim? Sounds great, but does it work? We find out by tackling some sewing jobs ourselves and allowing some experienced sewers to give the Handy Stitch a try too.

The Handy Stitch is recommended for quick repairs or jobs that conventional tabletop machines can't handle, like sewing curtains while still on the rod, or mending a torn pocket without having to remove your pants. The Handy Stitch came with a bonus 64-piece thread and bobbin set but the thread as it turned out, was very poor quality – we were able to break it quite easily with our bare hands.

Getting started was a challenge in itself and the instructions weren’t overly helpful. It was difficult sewing in a straight line, sort of a must for a good finished look! But if you needed a quick fix it would certainly suffice.

It didn’t have the power it promised either, sewing through denim was next to impossible. Bet, both the testers and the Shopping Bags found it to be a frustrating exercise.

So, for $29.95, plus shipping and handling, our battery-operated Handy Stitch sewing machine (and thread and bobbin set) came to $42.69. Was it worth it? Well, we certainly don’t recommend getting rid of your sewing machine – it might come in handy for emergencies when there’s no other available option.

Overall, the Handy Stitch gets one and a half bags out of five.