Abstract: A braking device for strip material particularly for a sewing machine which sews a garment requiring ruffling comprises a fixed guide over which the strip material such as tape is fed. A resilient member overlies the fixed guide and it is engaged by a multi-step cam plate mounted for rotation about an axis so that a plurality of flat sides thereof may be selectively engaged against the resilient member to force it against the material passing on the guide so as to apply a selected braking force thereto. The resilient member advantageously comprises a leaf spring and the multi-step cam plate includes a plurality of engagements surfaces arranged at different distances from the central axis of its rotation which may be positioned by a hand knob control to bear against the resilient member and effect the varying braking of the tape being fed.