Organizational {Friday} Hand-Dyed Seam Binding & a Ribbon Update

Most of you probably remember my Tuesday's {Tip} post about dying seam binding. If you missed that post, please see it here. If you remember it, well, I must tell you that I have not used the "soaking in a glass of water" method since that post. It takes WAY too long, the color is not rich enough, and the seam binding doesn't crinkle as well. I only mist my seam binding now! I mist with a variety of things--Glimmer Mist, my own ink mix, Maya Road Mist, and Smooch Spritz.

Sometimes I really enjoy just quickly making 1 yards' worth of seam binding to match a particular project such as this card I shared last Saturday:
It took the full yard on this card so I didn't have any left to store. The seam binding on this card was made using a mixture of Maya Road Mist Latte and Smooch Spritz Cherry Ice. I really liked that color combo and may make it again! And yes, we will talk about keeping track of favorite color combos in a minute. :) When I first spritzed on the Smooch Spritz Cherry Ice, I thought it would be awful because it was almost pink and not red at all. But once I added the latte color--WOW! It was exactly what I wanted. Don't ever be afraid to just start spritzing other colors if you don't like what you have! You never know what fun color blend you will end up with!

When I make just one yard for a particular project, I don't have to worry about storage. But when I make a batch, I need to store it somewhere. The great thing about hand-dyed seam binding is that it looks better the more crinkled it is. So, guess what? We can store this "messy." We don't have to worry about neatness! Love that! You could stuff it in a drawer or a box and be done! Inexpensive and easy! Here is what my current stash of seam binding looks like in a drawer of my antique spice unit:
Now, what I don't like about this storage for me personally is that I don't know what color combo I used, and I have to rummage through the drawer a bit. Really no big deal but just something for you to think about when you decide how you might want to store your seam binding.

Storage Boxes
Most of you know that I keep all of my ribbon in the Cropper Hopper embellishment boxes. I have done this for years and years, and I still love it to this day. It's one of the organizational ideas I haven't "upgraded" or changed. :) Anyway, Cropper Hopper used to make 3 different sizes of the boxes but now they have discontinued 2 of the 3 leaving only the smallest box size. These boxes are great but will only allow you to keep ribbon up to 1/2 inch wide. While I don't need anymore boxes, I know some of you may have been on a hunt so I want to show you what I have found, and it's also the same boxes I will keep my hand-dyed seam binding in! They are these clear boxes from The Box Depot. The box closest to the Cropper Hopper box size is PLB103. It cost $28 for 100 of these boxes! I think that's an awesome price! I have not ordered from the yet but they sent me these samples. I wanted to see the sizing in person before I purchased them. The sizing for these boxes are:

PLB103: 1.5"x1.5"x1.5"
PLB104: 2"x2"x2"

Here is what they look like with the seam binding stuff inside:
I love it because it keeps the seam binding crinkled. I also can store them in the same drawer with my other ribbons. Here you can see it in my drawer with the pink ribbons:Now, as I said, these boxes will also work for your regular ribbons. Here you can see that same box with a roll of 7/8" wide satin ribbon. This could certainly hold a wider ribbon also (up to 1 1/2").
The tag in the box is just a slip of paper where I write the name of the ribbon manufacturer. That way when I need more ribbon or I need it for a supply list, it's easy to find! I will use this same "slip of paper" technique for keeping my seam binding color combos handy. I will just write down the color combo, and stuff it inside the storage box with the seam binding.

Keeping Track of Favorite Color Combos
Well, I bet you can guess how I keep track of my favorite hand-dyed color combos. Yes, my famous color swatch book! Now even though I keep the slip of paper with the color combo in the storage box, remember sometimes I only make enough for one project. In that case, I certainly wouldn't remember my favorite color combination. So, what I do is snip off a small sample of the seam binding, attach it to my color swatch sheet, and write down the color combination. Easy, and then a cinch to recreate if I want more. I hope you have found today's post helpful. Enjoy, and happy organizing!