Abstract: An apparatus is provided having a continuous band of material passing through the stitching means of a sewing machine. Pieces of material are manually placed individually on the band and hemmed to it at a side which has been folded under the band by a mechanical folder. A sensing means senses the passage of an end of each piece which has had a portion raised from the band and in response activates a cutter which cuts away a strip of the band to which the piece was hemmed. A removal means for moving the strip away from the band and into a stacker is activated after the strip has been cut away from the band. The stacker has a base supporting two spaced, upwardly extending sidewalls defining a passage therebetween. Each of the sidewalls supports a ledge protruding into the passage. A portion of the base is vertically movable and adapted to fit within the space between the ledges.