PURPOSE: To provide a device by which an excess needle thread after thread cutting is always pulled back surely and by a most suitable amount thereof.

CONSTITUTION: A thread-drawing in lever 6 is placed at the position to be stopped by a stopper 12 for presetting an amount of thread drawing-out, and a needle thread 11 is drawn-in by a fixed amount thereof during sewing. A thread-gripping solenoid 1 is turned on just before thread cutting and the thread- drawing in lever 6 is turned counterclockwise by a lever-driving solenoid 5. In this way, a fixed amount of the needle thread 14 required for the thread cutting is drawn out. After that, the thread-drawing in lever 6 is returned toward the former state by a damper spring 3 just after the thread cutting, and in the time thereof, when a position detected by a potentiometer reaches the position corresponding to a preset amount of thread pulling-back, a thread-gripping solenoid 2 is turned on. In this way, the needle thread is pulled back by a preset amount thereof.