First I would not use a rod pocket if you want to open and close them. It is too hard to move the fabric back where you want it. Rod pockets are usually made for drapes that stay closed, like sheers or cafe curtains or tiebacks.

You can make pinch pleated, or tab tops but I think your best bet would be to go with grommets on the top. Grommets are very fashionable right now. They are easy to move on the rod, easy to make, take less material and are less fussy than pinch pleated--perfect for the office.

They involve making hems at sides, top and bottom and then attaching grommets at the top--check out the site below or look on line. There are plenty of sites with directions. Grommets come in 2 parts that snap together. They can be made of plastic or metal.

You have designer fabric and just because it's cotton doesn't mean it is washable. If your material is scothguarded and screenprinted it is probably not washable. If you wash it the colors will fade and the curtains would not look good.

However I can't see them getting that dirty in an office. Throw them in the dryer on air once a year and that will remove any dust. If you do get a spot on them it would be easy to remove with sponging with clear water, because of the scotchguarding.

As for how much wall space they'll take--It depends on the style and fullness of the drapes and how much of the window you want exposed. I would suggest you go no further than the window casing. To determine how wide you'll make them, measure the rod not the window. Although the window measurement a good first step.

Here is a link that might be useful: Making grommet drapes

Thanks for all the good information, Oilpainter. I will not wash the fabric and love the idea of tossing them in the dryer. Grommets have the easy appeal, but the rest of the room is a fairly traditional polyglot of fun finds. If I don't do rod pocket, I guess it'll probably have to be my other favorite look of simple pinch pleats on rings. I do need to close them when I'm a mess and the UPS guy's heading for the front porch. :)

Regarding fullness and stack-back, I do want the curtains to hang smooth and vertical, no stiff bunching. They'll be open most of the time, so to minimize the stack-back I'm not lining them and thought maybe 2-1/2x for pleats, perhaps even less for rod pocket. The windows wrap around a corner, so they'll hang there as well as the two ends. There is no wall space in the corner, just 3" casings, but if the stack-back is too much I might want to run the rods onto the walls a bit at the outside ends to clear more glass.

The fabric thickness I guess would be light upholstery (a chair you don't let the kids on) or medium curtain. BTW, it's an ambery peach, which should look nice, with creamy-white polka dots. Didn't go looking for those, but at $3 a yard I'm happy. More polyglot for my office/sitting room. :)

Have you ever done pinch pleats? I can tell you how if you want to do it the traditional way. It takes a lot of figuring and measuring.

They do sell pleater tape that you sew on flat and then pull a cord to make it pleat. The thing is it is around $3 a yard. Check out the site below. Maybe if you look around you might be able to find it cheaper. Also consider that the more pleats you have the more tape you will need. You can get the look of rod pocket drapes by using a 2 inch tape. The 2 inch tape would be cheaper than the wider ones.

As for the stack back. Yes if you want to uncover all the window or even most of it you will have to extend the curtain on to the wall. There is no way to tell you how much. You'll have to figure it out with your material. Lay it on the floor. Now gather and loosely pleat the top with your hands until you get the fullness you want and then measure how much the material takes up. I would have panels for both windows meet at the corner instead of 2 panels for each window.

What kind of rod are you using? The corner will be challenging. They do have a corner connector piece for putting 2 rods together. I suggest you buy it first and then get a rod to fit.

Good luck I hope you get the curtains you want

Here is a link that might be useful: Drapery tape

Hi, Oilpainter. I really wouldn't mind making pleats without the tape (instructions for both guaranteed to make my eyes cross) except my machine is a simple old one from California that doesn't do thick fabrics, so I'd be tacking them in by hand and there'll be a fair number. I'll probably be hemming by hand no matter what.

Would you please explain the "look of rod pocket drapes" with 2" tape, though? I was browsing stuff at the store you linked but didn't see that possibility. I haven't totally given up the idea of doing this without using up all the erasers on my pencils.

Our 5 double-hung windows (2 clustered on one wall, 3 on the other) are about 160 inches total. Do you mean I sbould make 3 drapery panels, one for each end and one big one to wrap around the corner, instead of 2 separate ones meeting there?

I've asked my husband to join two powder-coated metal rods from Home Depot of a standard diameter somehow at a right angle that can rest on a discrete hook or nail. I figure it'll all be hidden in the corner. I could spring for the pleating tape okay, but the costs of long curtain rods and their hardware start adding up. I think I'll plan on an extra 10" on the wall. That's about all that can be spared, anyway, and he can cut them down if more on the windows looks better after all.

Thank you for all your help. The more you look into something, the more questions pop up, or answers you didn't know you needed. :)

Look into the corner connector for the rods. It should only cost a couple of bucks and would make your husbands job so much easier. It is a right angled tube and each curtain rod slips into it at the corner.

Wow you'll have a big job trying to make curtains by hand. I've been sewing curtains for years and I wouldn't attempt it by hand.

There is not just the top and that would requires seams to hold the buckram or the tape if you decide to use it and the hem, there are side seams and seams to join the fabric. That's one heck of a lot of hand sewing. Even sewing rod pockets would be a chore.

I think I would either get a machine from somewhere--rent or borrow one--or forget it and go for blinds or get someone to make them.

Oh my goodness, what a horrible idea! No, my old machine and I can do straight seams (but not much else) as long as they're not too thick. I was just saying I'll likely finish the hems by hand and would prefer not to use a pliers and needle to do the pleats (an argument for the tape).

I just ordered one of those corner connector things, thank you. We're not close to a good sewing store here, so on line's usually faster and less expensive. Happy sewing, and thanks again.

Yes the tape is the easiest way to go. I have used it on a lot of curtains. It might look sheer but it isn't and it's sturdy. I've never found a problem with it and some of my curtains have been washed many times.

I don't know if you know this--
Trim off the selvedges before you sew the side hems or they will pucker

Use flat fell seams if you join 2 panels.

Hang your curtains and pin the hem--much easier to get a straight hem and no measuring.

Good luck--I hope they turn out great