A device is provided for incorporation in apparatus for the automatic manufacture of articles from fabric by cutting the fabric into sets of single pieces and then moving the individual pieces of a set to a work station at which the pieces are sewed to each other, which comprises: a movable hollow frame, a flat plate which has a centrally disposed opening and which is adapted to be forced downwardly against the upper surface of a piece of fabric; a connection between the plate and the frame; an elongated oscillatory needle holder supported at its lower end by the frame along an axis of rotation located above the opening in the plate; a needle having a curved sharply tapered lower end and a stem; a connection between the stem and the needle holder at a point above the lower end of the needle holder whereby oscillation of the needle holder will cause the sharply tapered end of the needle to swing through the opening in the plate along an arc; and means are provided for adjusting the location of the arc so that the tapered end of the needle is caused to penetrate the fabric to a predetermined depth.