Heighway Dragon Curve (12 iterations)
14" x 11" (18 count canvas)
Larry Riddle, March 2020

This back stitch design illustrates how an iteration of the Heighway dragon curve can be traversed in such a way that the curve intersects only at corners and never crosses itself. The design starts at the left endpoint and alternates horizontal and vertical stitches until reaching the right endpoint. The curve turns right at the end of each Red segment and turns left at the end of each bLue segment The design was stitched this way along the path, alternating red and blue threads as needed by following the symbolic coding of the Heighway curve that specifies whether the path turns right or left at each corner. Click here to see this coding for the 12th iteration.

[Details on the symbolic coding]
[Animated demonstration of the path]