A fabric-guiding apparatus for guiding a fabric layer across a line of fabric feed along a side edge of the fabric layer, including a detector sensing the side edge of the fabric layer and generating a detection signal, a guiding wheel rotatable about an axis parallel to the line of fabric feed, a pressure exerting device for exerting a contact pressure urging the guiding wheel into engagement with the fabric layer, and a first drive motor to rotate the guiding wheel for laterally moving the side edge of the layer into position prior to a sewing cycle. The pressure exerting device comprises a pressure adjusting mechanism to adjust the contact pressure, a second drive motor to actuate the adjusting mechanism, a drive circuit responsive to command signals, a memory storing command data relating to the command signals, and a control circuit. The control circuit supplies to the drive circuit a certain number of the command signals for changing the contact pressure in predetermined increments prior to the sewing cycle, updating the memory upon every supply of the command signals to the drive circuit, outputs a rotation signal to operate the first drive motor when the command signals are supplied to the drive circuit, and checks according to the detection signal if the fabric layer has been moved into position by the guiding wheel, whereby an optimum level of the contact pressure is established between the guiding wheel and the surface of the fabric layer before the sewing cycle is initiated.