A Stitch in Line

“As both a mathematician and fiber artist, Katherine Seaton merged these two areas of expertise into a scholarly blend of mathematics and embroidery. […] Seaton’s new book is on the mathematics of hitomezashi embroidery. The book includes many embroidery examples and projects, while still maintaining an emphasis on mathematics.”

—Gwen Fisher, Journal of Mathematics and Arts

Katherine Seaton holds a B. Sc. and Ph. D. in mathematics from the University of Melbourne and a Graduate Certificate in Higher Education from La Trobe University, both in Australia. For more than 27 years she worked in teaching and research in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics at La Trobe where, now retired, she holds an honorary position. Katherine’s original research was in mathematical physics; over time she added tertiary mathematics education (assessment and academic integrity) and mathematical art to her areas of interest. As well as her formal educational qualifications, she learned to stitch, knit and crochet at a young age, from her mother, her grandmother and her Brownie Guide leaders respectively. Katherine is a strong advocate for using fibre arts to widen perspectives on what it means to do mathematics and on who is a mathematician. She has published in the Journal of Mathematics and the Arts and has spoken and exhibited hitomezashi at Bridges conferences since 2018. Where possible, she uses repurposed materials in her practice. Her mathematical fibre art can be found on Instagram: @maths_kath