Users are supposed to attach canvas strips (or something similar) to the poles first. Staples or small nails - although wood glue might do the trick. The strips stay in place. Quilts are then either pinned or basted to the strips so you can roll it up from either direction. (I was too lazy to attach the strips first. I taped the fabric to the pole instead. It worked, but I'm sure when I attach the strips - which I will definitely do before I use it again - it will work much better.
It's a 2-pole system. To avoid basting the layers together, I roled up just the backing, then layed the batting and quilt top over it. After using a running stitch to attach the batting and top to the backing at the end closest to me, I smoothed out the batting over the quilting surface, then rolled up the remainder using round quilters'/bycycle clips to hold it in place on the pole farthest from me. I simply drape the unquilted part of the top over the whole deal, smooting all three layers together as I go, pin basting whenever it seems necessary. and fold or pile it on the surface between sessions.
I know this is not the proper way to do it but it worked well enough for me. I hate basting the layers together first. I make myself do it for machine quilting - unless I'm using a quilt-as-I-go method - but skip it when using the frame to hand quilt or tie.