Transport and guide for sewing limp fabric

An apparatus for guiding a limp fabric while a sewing operation is being performed thereon, comprising a substantially flat low friction surface to be located adjacent a sewing machine head substantially co-planar with the sewing plane of the sewing machine head upon which the fabric piece may be supported in a flat state, a transport member adapted to frictionally engage the exposed surface of the fabric piece at least along an area bordering said marginal portion so that at least part of the marginal portion is exposed, means to move said frictionally gripped area in a sliding movement along said surface, maintaining said part of the marginal portion flat, and means to guide said transport member along a path to move said part of the marginal portion through the sewing machine head, wherein the transport member includes a plate member having a flat surface with at least part of said surface of a high friction material or coating and track means secured to said plate member including a portion contoured to substantially correspond to the contour of the marginal portion to be sewn and the track means being located on the plate member so that the contoured portion is substantially parallel to the edge of the plate member from which the marginal portion projects, and wherein said moving means includes a roller assembly associated with said sewing machine head having at least one driving roller and arranged to cooperate with the track means to effect said sliding movement of the transport member along said path.