Sewing machine

A sewing machine comprising:

• a detection unit configured to detect a moving direction and a movement amount of an object to be processed when the object placed on a sewing machine bed is moved in any direction;
• a cutting needle having a distal end formed with a blade edge and configured to form a cut in the object;
• an up-down drive mechanism configured to reciprocate the cutting needle in an up-down direction;
• a rotational drive mechanism configured to rotate the cutting needle about a rotation axis line of the cutting needle;
• a first pitch setting unit configured to set a pitch length to a first pitch length, said pitch length being an interval between cuts formed in the object by an up-down movement of the cutting needle;
• and
• a control device configured to control the up-down drive mechanism and the rotational drive mechanism based on a result of detection by the detection unit so that an orientation of the blade edge is changed according to the moving direction of the object and the cutting needle is reciprocated to form the cut in the object at the first pitch length with the blade edge being in the changed orientation.