My favorite part of 10th grade geometry was making parabolic curves using straight lines drawn by connecting positions on the x and y axes. Then I discovered that you can make these curves with needle and colored thread—even more fascinating.

The short story Flatland, by Edwin A. Abbott, assigns the straight line to the female and sees lines as quite restricted in what they can do. But I know what straight lines can do. The illustrations in this book are all formed from straight lines; any curves are formed by the straight lines. The sewing moves from simple to complex but is always made from straight lines. The patterns of holes for each design were generated on a computer and sewn with hand dyed thread. The indigo blue illustration requires 14 yards of thread!