Abstract: A sewing machine for leather or the like is provided with a flat needle holding bar supported for up/down movement. The needle holding bar is further supported for rotational movement and a control motor is provided to rotate the needle as required to cause the flat surface of the needle to be parallel to the direction in which the thread runs. To this end the needle is rotated after the needle penetrates the leather but before it reaches bottom dead center to a position in which the flat portion is in its normal position for the thread running direction and upper and lower threads are twisted together whereafter the needle is rotated again to be parallel to the thread running direction.