Jewel of the Nile

 I've had a fascination with Ancient Egyptian jewelry ever since I was a child; one of my favorite books to browse through was an enormous pictorial on "The Treasures of Tutunkhamun" exhibition of the late 1970s. This was shamelessly copied from a ring I saw on pinterest:

I can't get enough of peyote rings, either; so addictive to make:

Three of Hearts

I planned to make only one heart this year (I have a lot going on), but it quickly turned into three.

The crochet heart was a free pattern from Fresh Stitches, and perfect for the small skein of pink yarn I had.

The mixed media heart is from the latest issue of Quilting Arts. I layered different yarns and scraps on a fabric heart, covered it with netting, and secured it with machine stitching. I then beaded and embroidered the top, sewed on a backing heart, and stuffed it.

The last heart is made of beaded filet stitch from The New Beadweaving by Ann Benson. I'm glad I tried this new stitch (based on filet crochet), but it was pain to work with.

May this next year be filled with more love for our fellow man.

The Genevieve Summerford Mysteries by Cuyler Overholt

A Deadly Affection and A Promise of Ruin are the first two novels in this series about a female doctor in 1907 New York whose practice is at the forefront of modern psychology; its setting, then, is similar to The Alienist, although the tone is quite different. Whereas that novel was quite bleak and disturbing, Overholt's works are lighter in their feel -- she doesn't shy away from the injustices and challenges of the age, but she doesn't wallow in them, either.

It also has a distinctly feminist perspective. The upper-class Genevieve has defied her upbringing by entering medical school; delightfully, her father is disappointed in her, not for becoming a doctor at all, but for becoming one of those newfangled psychiatrists rather than a medical doctor. Her mother worries about her finding a suitable husband, but also takes a genuine interest in her work. And Genevieve herself doesn't feel the need to denigrate the lifestyle of her friends, even if she does not wish it for herself. It's refreshing to read such a balanced approach to feminist pioneers; it wasn't all unrelenting oppression (although of course the fact that Genevieve is rich and white helps quite a bit).

The stories themselves were also satisfying, although I found the second one (about forced prostitution) not quite as engaging. The romantic subplot was good, too, and I hope Overholt doesn't drag it out over too many books.  There's no word yet on a third, but I can only assume it's in the works.