Method for controlling the position of a seam contour relative to structures of a sewing material, comprising the following steps: - recording of reference positions of the sewing material structures by means of a reference sewing material having such structures, wherein the sewing material structures are perforations or patterns or coloured patterns, in particular an irregular pattern, in the sewing material, which are applied to a closely tolerated, optimized material, wherein a reference image of the reference sewing material is generated by a camera system and the reference image is then loaded into the camera system and the recognition of the sewing material structures is started, - generation of reference structure data sets for a sewing programme based on the recorded reference positions of the sewing material structures, - after generating the reference structure data sets: sewing of a working sewing material with the sewing programme, - wherein the following steps for preparing the sewing programme are carried out to prior to the sewing of the working sewing material: -- recording of working positions of sewing material structures of the working sewing material, which correspond to the sewing material structures of the reference sewing material, wherein possible irregularities may be present, and wherein a working image of the unsewn working sewing material is generated by the camera system, -- generating working structure data sets on the basis of the recorded working positions of sewing material structures, -- comparing the working positions with the reference positions by comparing the reference structure data sets with the working structure data sets, -- adaptation of parameter data of the sewing programme on the basis of the deviations between the reference structure data sets and the working structure data sets recorded upon the comparison, wherein the adaptation of the sewing programme takes place via the camera system, wherein the camera system changes the sewing programme by manipulating the parameter values in the sewing programme, and - sewing the working sewing material with the adapted sewing programme. - recording of reference positions of the sewing material structures by means of a reference sewing material having such structures, wherein the sewing material structures are perforations or patterns or coloured patterns, in particular an irregular pattern, in the sewing material, which are applied to a closely tolerated, optimized material, wherein a reference image of the reference sewing material is generated by a camera system and the reference image is then loaded into the camera system and the recognition of the sewing material structures is started, - generation of reference structure data sets for a sewing programme based on the recorded reference positions of the sewing material structures, - after generating the reference structure data sets: sewing of a working sewing material with the sewing programme, - wherein the following steps for preparing the sewing programme are carried out to prior to the sewing of the working sewing material: -- recording of working positions of sewing material structures of the working sewing material, which correspond to the sewing material structures of the reference sewing material, wherein possible irregularities may be present, and wherein a working image of the unsewn working sewing material is generated by the camera system, -- generating working structure data sets on the basis of the recorded working positions of sewing material structures, -- comparing the working positions with the reference positions by comparing the reference structure data sets with the working structure data sets, -- adaptation of parameter data of the sewing programme on the basis of the deviations between the reference structure data sets and the working structure data sets recorded upon the comparison, wherein the adaptation of the sewing programme takes place via the camera system, wherein the camera system changes the sewing programme by manipulating the parameter values in the sewing programme, and -- recording of working positions of sewing material structures of the working sewing material, which correspond to the sewing material structures of the reference sewing material, wherein possible irregularities may be present, and wherein a working image of the unsewn working sewing material is generated by the camera system, -- generating working structure data sets on the basis of the recorded working positions of sewing material structures, -- comparing the working positions with the reference positions by comparing the reference structure data sets with the working structure data sets, -- adaptation of parameter data of the sewing programme on the basis of the deviations between the reference structure data sets and the working structure data sets recorded upon the comparison, wherein the adaptation of the sewing programme takes place via the camera system, wherein the camera system changes the sewing programme by manipulating the parameter values in the sewing programme, and - sewing the working sewing material with the adapted sewing programme.