You're not limited to running the pole through the pocket. I had that setup once in my bedroom and not only was it so difficult moving the panel along the rod, but it's all bunched up. Some panels have tabs in the back for threading a pole through. If you don't have those, get some clip rings. They slide easily, form nice soft pleats, and have the advantage of being able to get them out of the way to the side when you want to see all the window. You don't have to clip them at the top. Pinch the fabric in the back and clip it there. You can make the rings as visible or invisible as you like.

I just finished pinch pleated drapes for a sliding door and made the blackout lining separate. I was afraid it would not be easy to sew the pleats with the blackout lining, even with only a single thickness. These are triple width drapes, eight feet tall. I was worried the separate lining wouldn't hang properly. So far I am happy with the results. If you are sewing flat panels and using clip on rings it's easy to sew the blackout together as one piece.

mnzinnia, thanks! It took me some time to embrace those stepped windows, but now I love how unusual the house is. The front room is not open to the dining room. The dining room is open to the living room, but the living room doesn't have windows other than the sliding doors to the sunroom. I understand, Patricia. I know you feel like I'm putting the cart before the horse and I'm sorry. I presented the case for waiting, but my partner is resistant to the idea, so I'm trying to make selections that will work with the colors we're most likely to use in this house. I hope you'll still help me make selections, even though it's not the order of operations you prefer. I have a fair idea of what sofa I want for this room and I have fabric samples coming. I should have them in hand before we place the order for the drapes. We are awaiting a quote from Budget Blinds for these fabrics: Front room: Left to Right: Front room, dining room, and a slate gray sheer for the master bedroom to be hung in front of the white blackout drapes that are currently installed. (I find it a bit hilarious that we have chosen two circle patterns.) Wave/Ribbonfold for both the front room and dining room. Front room hardware plain white installed on ceiling. Dining room decorative hardware in black (goes well with the bronze that the new windows will have) wall mounted due to the ceiling slope. Triple pinch pleat with bottom tack for the master bedroom sheer, and using the ceiling mounted traverse rods that are already installed. The wall color is Hint of Vanilla, and we're not planning on repainting. We have this color throughout the common rooms in our house - and I checked on here when we were having the interior painted and I was strongly advised to stick with the eggshell-like color, so that's what we did.

Just some thoughts: In addition to the potential for children to try to climb / pull on the drapes, you have a vent below the window. Not a fan of the droopy dragging the floor look either. Curtains hung high above the top of the window frame expose bare wall above the window that can look ... bare. Unless you already have art of some kind you want to put there -- such as the baby's name or large wood initial of the family's last name in your favorite bold color or even pressed metal sculpture of the sun or a flower or musical notes ... something that reflects your family and its interests and makes you smile to look at it, consider hanging a double curtain rod immediately above the top of the window frame. Then Vertically choose curtains or hem the fabric to be a length just barely below the window sill. Horizontally, have the rod extend beyond the window frame, left and right, so that you can open your curtains/drapes on the outer rod all the way and cover the side of the window frame and part of the wall beside that but not cover any of the glass ... letting in as much natural light as possible. In lieu of a valance to cover the rod between the drape panels and so you can leave them open or closed and have a third option of having some small degree of privacy while letting in the light, choose an old style flat white double curtain rod that fits into a rod pocket atop your window treatment and hang sheers on the inside rod and you can leave them open or closed, Using those rods is less expensive than most other rods and it also means that in order to "dust" -- remove dust -- that might otherwise accumulate on the top of the curtains and rod, you need only to toss them in the washer and can hang your sheers up after they spin dry and you likely can hang the curtains back up after they're only partly dry so the wrinkles can drop out rather than set in. https://www.walmart.com/ip/Mainstays-48-86-in-Basic-Adjustable-Double-Curtain-Rod-2-3-in-Clearance/42489123?wmlspartner=wlpa&selectedSellerId=0&wl13=1122&adid=2222222227742489123_117755028669_12420145346&wmlspartner=wmtlabs&wl0=&wl1=g&wl2=c&wl3=501107745824&wl4=pla-293946777986&wl5=9011018&wl6=&wl7=&wl8=&wl9=pla&wl10=8175035&wl11=local&wl12=42489123&wl13=1122&veh=sem_LIA&gclid=Cj0KCQiAqvaNBhDLARIsAH1Pq50LHt1hCO185Tvcr_V9vqO3AvVQ3mfUO1N7t6px1OFo3lDDuZNg_RoaAkAJEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds