This work addresses challenges in a previously presented automated sewing cell regarding material handling. The paper takes a step back and explores basic principles and changes in the hardware that can lead to a higher stability of the process in an industrial setting. Due to space restrictions in front of the needle, it was hard for the robots to handle the workpieces during the last part of the seam. This paper presents a conveyor belt system that was added into the cell to move the working point away from the needle. This ensures better workspace for the robot system. Additionally, a new tool and control concept is presented for the case of sewing a single piece which may improve the stability of the process. Rubber wheels are used to control the workpiece sideways in order to control the seem position. Experiments are presented and discussed showing the feasibility of the conveyor belt system and the new tool.