Of all the items I've ever put on my site, the one that seems to generate the greatest interest is the bead curtain. That's only fair, since it's probably one of the most involved projects. When the latest email arrived, I thought, since I don't have `trackback' or other ways for people to comment on the site, I'd collate my responses to people. ---Of course, you're still welcome to email me; I enjoy hearing from people.

Usually the email starts out with something along the lines of `Can you make me one?'

Well, obviously, I can... The real question (which usually is next) is how much would it cost? And the answer is (you knew this, right?)

Lots.

Nailed down, (by my sister in law, no less)I came up with the following price quote: ``Oh, sorry, I meant to answer you before: I would say---$5k for one of Indian & Czech beads; another 2500--4k for one with sylvus' beads in it, assuming 7 beads per strand...this assumes that each strand is unique. One in which I could reuse patterns would be less.

``I rate my work rather highly, you see. But at that price, I would be happy, rather than somewhat dismayed, to make one. I'd also use only uncracked beads, of course, probably a higher proportion of czech beads, now that I know they can be purchased in wholesale quanities for about half what I've been paying. Frankly, I can't imagine doing one, except as a trade with another artist.

(She also wanted to know how long it took:) ``I suspect it took approximately 80--100 hours, to do; it's harder to say how much material is in it, but I'd venture, several hundred dollars' worth. ---However, if I'd tried to sell all those beads, I think I'd've been lucky to get 10c on the dollar. So I figured, what the heck?''

In other words, if you've done the math, you'll've figured out that I charge about fifty dollars an hour to string (and the standard sixty dollars an hour for torchtime). My suggestion, if you don't want to string it yourself, is to find someone in your local bead society or craft show whose designs you like, and commission her (most bead stringers are hers, though there are a few guys out there) to come up with samples and make it for you, since just about anyone else will charge less than I do. Since this site in general and the bead curtain in particular are licensed under a creative commons license, anyone is welcome to try and copy the curtain---as closely or loosely as s/he likes. The only kicker is that the derivative work must also be distributed under the creative commons license as well.

Okay, I know I don't want to buy one from you, but what about somebody else? Know of anybody else selling these things?

Sorry no---one reason I made mine is that there don't seem to be any commercial ones. I saw a really cheesy monochromatic one in a hardware store several years ago (make that at least a decade), but that's it. (Sorry, folks. Guess we'll just have to wait till flower power is back in vogue.)

Next question from those who are interested in making their own is whether I've made a pattern.

If you read the artspeak accompanying the picture you'll've figured out very quickly that I was using odds and ends, and therefore, had to adapt the design to the beads available. (Besides, I hate following patterns. Boring.) That said, I have been meaning to do some pages on the algorithms I use to generate my designs, though, really, I suspect they follow Fibonacci sequences pretty closely. So far, the most specific info I offer on design is on the 2--1 necklace pages---and it's more of a pointer than a pattern.

Stringing a bead curtain is not difficult, just time consuming. ---If you're ever wishing to create one for yourself, I recommend the purchase of transparent Indian beads by the pound, preferably at the wholesale show. String that stuff on tigertail, because the nasty holes will eat thread alive, and 49-str is too expensive. Space it with seed beads up to 6/0 size (approx 4mm) and cheap czech.

The great thing about stringing is that if your efforts look awful, it costs you nothing but a little time to pull the beads off the tigertail and try again. Ultimately, it's in this kind of fiddling around that learn your own favorite algorithms for putting shape & color together.

If you do decide to do a curtain, figure out the length, and work on one strand at a time. Then when you've got them all done, you can arrange them on a white sheet on the floor before putting them on the curtain rod. I found that, unlike with a necklace, where everyone's looking closely, that it wasn't really necessary to match adjacent strands.

Good luck! And I'd love to see what you come up with.