be accomplished by a material folding or by a material manipulator for example the surface 112a also has retro reflective optical properties so that with top lighting reflective light is directed in the z direction to provide a high contrast background against any cloth object placed on surface 112a the latter feature is particularly useful in systems having optical sensors which can identify the location and orientation of material on surface 112a the sewing assembly 116 includes a sewing machine 140 adapted for linear motion along the y axis the sewing machine is also pivotable about its needle axis as driven by control 124 by way of motor 142 and gear assembly 144 the sewing assembly 116 further includes an interlocking belt assembly including a first set of parallel endless belts 150 and a second set of parallel endless belts 152 the belts of sets 150 and 152 are adapted so that their lower surface may frictionally drive material between those lower surfaces and an underlying support surface 160 which is generally in continuous with surfaces 112a and 114a under the control of the controller 124 fig3 shows the belt assemblies 120 150 152 and 122 in schematic form together with the sewing machine 140 wherein the belt sets 150 and 152 include alternating sets of three roller endless belts and two point continuous belts in operation the controller 124 controls the belts adjacent to the sewing head of sewing machine.