good tip for storing binding?
 

Does anyone have a good system for storing/distributing binding? If I'm not going to bind a quilt immediately, I wind it around a ruler and then put it in a bag. But when I go to use it, I've got this long strand of binding that's going all over the place! I'd love some creative ideas, and I know this is the place to get it!

I have a drawer on the left side of my cabinet I just leave it in the bag and place it in the drawer works for me

I just roll my binding up into an elongated loop, put an elastic band around it, and put it in a big glass jar. The jar has a few bindings stored in it, so it looks kind of pretty too.

roll in on an emtpy TP roll or on an empty spool.

I roll mine and when it gets to be about an inch, I stick a straight pin through it and keep winding. As it grows, depending on how long it is, I add another pin or two or three. It makes it really easy to keep it together as I'm binding the quilt because it just unrolls to the the next pin and has saved me many times of having to roll it all over again. ;)

I fold mine around a ruler, put it in a baggie, cut a hole and slip it over the hanger that holds the top/backing all pressed and ready to sandwich.

Some very good ideas. A while back someone had a very unique way of dispensing their binding when actually attaching it to the quilt. I'll try to find that. Seems it had something to do with a paper towel roll, not sure. This is what I am currently using and it works pretty well for me. It is a thread holder/guide. Just unscrew it, place the roll on, and replace the screw.[ATTACH=CONFIG]417529[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]417530[/ATTACH]

I wrap my binding around the cardboard out of a roll of toilet paper. When I start to bind my quilt, I put the roll of toilet paper in a small bucket. It rolls around in the bucket unwinding as I sew. Simple, easy, and cheap!

I wind on a TP roll, starting with a piece of tape to hold the end down and ending with a pin to hold the other end. I put a long piece of selvage thru the roll to make a necklace and wear it when I'm sewing on the binding. The rolls with binding are stored in a drawer until ready to be applied.

Jan in VA

I roll it up in rolls, and put a pony hair elastic around it. I also store my extras and left overs, and put it together in even strips for charity quilts.

For storage, I'd wind it on a small piece of cardboard, and pin it there. To use it, I put it either in a plastic bag, or a large jar and pull out as needed.

If I have a lot of binding (ie a large quilt vs a table runner) I wind it on a TP roll, and then suspend the roll over a clean garbage can on the floor so it can unwind as I need it.

i wind mine on a tp roll also.

I use tp rolls with pony tail stretch bands around or old hair curlers. Rollers are better length and have a little grip to start. An oblong bowl placed in drawer of machine holds this and unrolls easily.

I wind mine on empty thread spools

I wind my binding on a roll the size of a TP roll; but much heavier. I insert a straight pin to hold the binding in place then store it in my "binding" drawer. I think that drawer currently holds 7 rolls of binding. When I am ready to use the binding, I run a ribbon through the roll, tie the ribbon and wear the roll around my neck while sewing on the binding. I always make my binding when I cut out my quilt and I have lots of quilts at the LAQ, plus I have 2 quilts that I am quilting myself, thus the need for storing binding,

This is what I do! If I have binding left over, I re roll it on the tp roll and I just keep adding all my leftovers to the roll. I use them for a scrappy binding or if I'm making a small project like a hot pad.

Thanks everyone, such great ideas. But I have to say, rolling it on the TP roll and then hanging it around your neck? Brilliant!!! That's what I'm going to start doing. I love it. Thanks again everyone!

I take left over cardboard; cut it to a rectangular shape; start the binding by pinning the first piece; then just wrap the rest around as I iron it. When I am attaching the binding I just let the whole thing fall onto the floor. If any is left over, I pin the end and store them in my cabinet. Easy and works for me.

A while back I posted photos in the tutorials section - what I do is use empty hummus containers. They're the perfect size height-wise for 2.5" binding folded in half and will hold many yards of binding rolled up. You can also cut a slit into the side of the container to dispense while keeping the lid on.

Wrap it around a ruler and pull it nice and tight. Take it off the ruler and use a piece of scrap fabric to tie around it. Also, you could use the comic book boards that many wrap their fabric on and wrap it around there, and pin it at the end. :) Then...you could put several on the board and mark what quilt they are all for.

I just saw a "new" product at Joanns yesterday. Two plastic rollers( in one pkg) that were the size of tp cardboard. They were for holding binding. They have a slit in the center that holds the binding as you begin to wrap it around the roller. Sort of a combination of a hair curler and a tp roll. These were not in the quilting supplies. They were in the section with the Simplicity cutting machines.

Ask the people at a cutting table, like at Joanne's, if they have an empty ribbon or trims spool they will trash, the bigger the better. I am having my husband make me a spool out of a large diameter spool and Luanne board sides, sanded edges of course, so I can put the spool in my lap and let it spin as the binding comes off.

I storage binding by wrapping it around empty cardboard salt containers. To work with it, I roughly punch out a hole in either end. I take a plastic hanger and cut one side through near to the top and then 'thread' the unit on to it, enabling me to hang it up nearby my machine (usually from my floor lamp). Works for me. :)
[I don't worry about the fabric of the binding being next to the cardboard---but if I make binding ahead of time, know I will be storing extra or have a light colored fabric, I may cover the cardboard with something first.]

I do the same as everybody else-wind it on a paper towel roll and then stick a straight pin through the end. I can put more than one at a time on there and save them until I'm ready. You can cut that part of the tube off, put a string through it and tie it around your neck so it will unroll as you sew it on.

I agree about TP roll. If you use the rod that holds the TP roll and put a string of yarn through it, you can put it around your neck and then dispense it easily when you use

I wind ribbon, binding, etc. around my "pointer" finger and thumb using figure eight pattern. The strip doesn't wrinkle and the bundles store easily. Binding is prepared for each quilt and stored with appropriate label in large plastic shoe box.

Some great ideas, but kitsykeel and Jan in VA take the cake!! I roll my binding on a paper towel roll so I can easily adapt to this. I usually just drop it at my feet and let it unroll from there. uhweaver, I keep leftovers too. This is a great thread. Thanks, Michaelleoc.

As I don't want anything around my neck, I too drop my paper towel roll on the floor, but in an empty shoe box, so it doesn't roll (or unroll faster than I need).

I went to the Dollar Tree and found a little plastic container. The lid stays attached and I put all my binding in there.IT is easy to use too , just open the lid and pull from container as I use it. IT was only $1.00.

I do as Jan does EXCEPT I had my DH cut the solid end off a large plastic pharmacy type medication bottle to use instead of a TP roll. Works great hanging around my neck and no pulling the extra binding that I used to just hang over my shoulder.

I wind mine up and put it around the leg on my machine extension. It unwinds easily and isn't rolling all over everywhere.

When I wrap my binding around something it gets distorted, as in not folded precisely. Does anyone else have this problem? I prefer to accordion pleat mine in sections and pin each section.....a little awkward, but keep the shape better.

Guess I'm odd man out here. I don't bother cutting my binding until I'm ready to attach it. I store the chunk of fabric with the quilt until it's needed then cut my binding. No need to find another place to store something. I'll have to give the tp roll a try - provided I can get one to keep before the dogs use it as a toy!

I use a empty toilet paper roll. Just keep winding the binding around the toilet paper roll and pin the end.

* I do the same. It works great. I also put string through the spool and make a loop for it to hang around my neck when I sew the binding on. :)

This is certainly the best and cheapest as far as I am concerned.

A good tip from the QB was to wind it around extension cord holders. Keeps it tidy & you can just hang them on hooks til you're ready for it. I think I found mine at the $1 Store.

I save empty tp tubes- lots of uses.* For binding, I slit one end, put an end of the binding in it. Then I roll the binding around the tube and put it in a bag that has a handle. I hang it on a knob on my sewing table and sew away. Binding unrolls ad is out of the way and NOT on the floor gathering dust & thread.

*Other uses: slit all the way - slip over gift wrap paper to keep it from unwinding; slip over embroidery stabilizer to keep it from unwinding AND write what kind of stabiizer it is on the tube. Don't slit and use to corral extension cords and all those charger cords that are messing up your drawers.

I just roll it neatly and keep the rolls in a plastic basket. I go to it whenever I make scrappy quilts.