Abstract: The invention concerns a sewing machine with an electronic pattern stitch control system which operates the stitch forming device to change the relative positions of the needle and the sewn material, thereby to form a pattern. Addressing signals are applied to the address inputs of the memory at a high frequency to cause the contents of the memory to be successively produced at its output terminals. Comparing means compare this data output to pattern identifying signals generated by the user operated pattern selection switches. The addressing signals continue to be applied until a matched comparison is reached whereupon the data is applied to the stitch forming means.