How to Listen to Music, Watch and Stream Movies and TV right from your Sewing Machine

Today I have a quick, easy and cheap hack for you – a way to watch movies, tutorials, stream tv shows and listen to music from your phone all with your phone mounted on your sewing machine, right in front of you.

Although I now have a gorgeous view to look out at while I sew -

My sewing area, left corner, work desk, Janome 6500 and home made fat quarter storage shelf (here's the how to post)

I *do* like to watch TV (usually Amazon or Hulu) or listen to music on my phone (usually Pandora or the like) while I sew – especially since I picked up these cheap folding wireless bluetooth headphones last year -

I picked up these folding bluetooth headphones for a good deal on Amazon last year

now I can get up and move around while I sew without having to worry about having my phone in my pocket (or wearing an item with pockets!), I don’t have to worry about sewing the headphones cable into a quilt (true [but stupid] story) and I still have the ability to hear what I’m trying to listen to.

Then I thought, there’s gotta be a way I can mount my phone on my machine with an unobtrusive mounting mechanism, so that I can actually see the screen to better watch my streaming content. Boom – enter this magnet/ball system I found (product link)*:




the phone can be spun almost 360°, and can sit in just about any orientation you like – portrait, landscape, you name it -

Disclosure: Now this system is magnetic – or more specifically – the disc located on the rear of your phone is magnetic – and I have been using it on my phone and machine now for the better part of a year with no negative affects to either. Obviously if you decide to try this on your machine you do it at your own risk – that said – I’ve put the magnet part on the phone right up to my display screen on my machine and no issues. BUT – I would *not* mount this anywhere near your bobbin mechanism under your needle plate as many of the modern machines use magnetism to function.

I have the same ball-system in my car to mount my phone on my dash, as well.
One thing I was worried about was that this phone is in and out of my purse, close to my credit cards, and would they be demagnetized by the mount on the back of the phone? No issues so far 1 year in.

To note: These sticky pads don’t mount well to soft cases – I had to use super glue on my soft case, but on my hard shell case the mount stuck well. The ball sticks well to my car dash and my machine – no issues there.

I love it – it’s an easily-removable solution to my first-world problem. I watch my Outlander and Man in Highcastle and Americans now with ease! (Man, I love Outlander.)

Another bonus?

My phone sticks to anything ferrous. I can stick it to the side of the microwave or fridge up off the counter in the kitchen when I’m cooking; my spare house keys (which I shove in my pocket for walks and school drop offs) stick to the phone; it sticks to all sorts of handy-dandy surfaces.

Anyway! It was a hit at my last retreat – quite a few people came by my station to see how I had my phone floating on my machine and thought it so handy to have the bluetooth headphones!

Very convenient for small spaces where a t.v. wouldn’t work, or for me where I’m already staring out a window and don’t have anywhere to put a t.v. As well, I love the portability of this and the fact that it works to mount my phone in the car, too.

Both pieces (the ball and the magnet) are removable and not permanent, which is nice – but the pads they send are super sticky. I also like that they are relatively small and unobtrusive (ball measures 1.25" high and 1" wide, and the disc 0.75" wide and 0.125"deep).

I hope you enjoyed this little gadget hack, and, happy weekend, everyone!

Here’s the link to the product on Amazon* for your reference, which comes in all sorts of colors (gold, red, purple, and more).

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