from laterally into the recess 8a in the needle bar driving member 8 so that rotation of the main shaft 3 will cause the selected needle bar 9 to be driven for reciprocation through the needle bar driving member 8 to perform a sewing operation by the corresponding needle the needle bars 9 other than the selected one are held in their rest position at a predetermined height when the head h is desired to stop its sewing operation an operating member not shown is operated by a needle bar stop signal to rotate the needle bar driving member 8 through an angle of substantially 90 u00b0 about the vertical axis thereof so that the interlocking stub 9a of the needle bar 9 is disengaged from the engaging recess 8a and the needle bar 9 is held inoperative even when the main shaft 3 is rotated and concomitantly the needle bar driving member 8 is vertically moved as shown in fig3 and 4 a longitudinal horizontally extending shaft 11 is provided in the rear portion of the needle bar case 4 adjacent the upper end thereof six thread take up levers 12 corresponding to the respective needle bars 9 are pivotally fitted on the shaft 11 each of the.