Stunning!! Are there any tips to draw those straight lines precisely?
Glad you asked!
First, I use a PME tip#1. The lines flow beautifully from the tube and are the perfect thickness. Second, I use a medium/stiff consistency icing. It should flow from the tube like a medium consistency but dry relatively quickly like a stiffer icing (this is important for later on). And third, I pipe on the back of the cookie as it has a flat surface.
I then draw one horizontal and one vertical line through the centre of the cookie. This is my reference to ensure that the lines will be straight and perpendicular. I draw the vertical lines first (I like the look of the horizontal lines showing). These lines don't have to be perfect and it's okay if your icing breaks as you don't really see these lines.
I then draw the horizontal lines (the important ones). For these lines, I rest my elbow on the table and use it to pivot my arm while piping. In other words, the only movement is in my elbow. I face the line I am piping directly and I pipe moving away from me. This allows me to "eyeball" a straight and parallel line. I also keep my breathing very shallow. This is also where a stiffer icing is important. Because the icing is stiffer, it dries quicker and does not completely stick to the vertical lines right away. If a part of one of my lines is not exactly parallel to the previous one, I can just very gently move it over with my scribe (just a part of the line, not the whole line). I continue this until I'm done. And that's pretty much it. I know it all sounds quite particular, but any other way won't work for me.
It takes about 30 minutes to pipe the lines and about three hours to pipe the dots (all that pattern counting) so I don't think I could sell these cookies (well, actually I'd love to sell them at a fair price), so for now I just do them for the love of it! I hope this helps!
P.S. For my "Mosaic" cookies, I follow the same as above, but I use a medium consistency icing, which means I can't "fix" crooked lines. They have to be perfect in one shot. For that I can only say that I spent years honing my fine motor skills!
Outstanding work, Prodigy! Just put it in a shadow box and sell it as art . Thanks for the explanation how you get the lines this straight !
Thanks! And if there's buyers, I'll be selling!
Put it on eBay with a reserve, knit a nice story around it, and see what comes out
I never thought of that - good idea!
Telling a story about the cookie will not only engage people, but the many keywords will guarantee more hits, a larger audience. Can't lose much, except for the insertion fee .
Stunning, Christine! I keep looking and looking at it. Pure art. I loved to read your explanation, you made me willing to practice piping RI in order to "try" to do something like that! Your perfection is amazing and it is amazing how you were able to pipe all the lines needed for the pattern. So well done!
Stunning, Christine! I keep looking and looking at it. Pure art. I loved to read your explanation, you made me willing to practice piping RI in order to "try" to do something like that! Your perfection is amazing and it is amazing how you were able to pipe all the lines needed for the pattern. So well done!
What is the size of this masterpiece?
Thank you for your kind words. I should probably be working on other techniques for decorating cookies as I am still relatively inexperienced, but I prefer to do needlepoint all day long!
This cookie is approx. 10cm x 14 cm (4" x 5 1/2").
Stunning, Christine! I keep looking and looking at it. Pure art. I loved to read your explanation, you made me willing to practice piping RI in order to "try" to do something like that! Your perfection is amazing and it is amazing how you were able to pipe all the lines needed for the pattern. So well done!
What is the size of this masterpiece?
Thank you for your kind words. I should probably be working on other techniques for decorating cookies as I am still relatively inexperienced, but I prefer to do needlepoint all day long!
This cookie is approx. 10cm x 14 cm (4" x 5 1/2").
I would do that all day long too, if I only had your skills! It should be so much work but so much fun!
It made me think about the beaded bracelet (not sure this is the right English for) I was weaving for hours when I was a kid.
Stunning, Christine! I keep looking and looking at it. Pure art. I loved to read your explanation, you made me willing to practice piping RI in order to "try" to do something like that! Your perfection is amazing and it is amazing how you were able to pipe all the lines needed for the pattern. So well done!
What is the size of this masterpiece?
Thank you for your kind words. I should probably be working on other techniques for decorating cookies as I am still relatively inexperienced, but I prefer to do needlepoint all day long!
This cookie is approx. 10cm x 14 cm (4" x 5 1/2").
I would do that all day long too, if I only had your skills! It should be so much work but so much fun!
It made me think about the beaded bracelet (not sure this is the right English for) I was weaving for hours when I was a kid.
Stunning!! Are there any tips to draw those straight lines precisely?
Glad you asked!
First, I use a PME tip#1. The lines flow beautifully from the tube and are the perfect thickness. Second, I use a medium/stiff consistency icing. It should flow from the tube like a medium consistency but dry relatively quickly like a stiffer icing (this is important for later on). And third, I pipe on the back of the cookie as it has a flat surface.
I then draw one horizontal and one vertical line through the centre of the cookie. This is my reference to ensure that the lines will be straight and perpendicular. I draw the vertical lines first (I like the look of the horizontal lines showing). These lines don't have to be perfect and it's okay if your icing breaks as you don't really see these lines.
I then draw the horizontal lines (the important ones). For these lines, I rest my elbow on the table and use it to pivot my arm while piping. In other words, the only movement is in my elbow. I face the line I am piping directly and I pipe moving away from me. This allows me to "eyeball" a straight and parallel line. I also keep my breathing very shallow. This is also where a stiffer icing is important. Because the icing is stiffer, it dries quicker and does not completely stick to the vertical lines right away. If a part of one of my lines is not exactly parallel to the previous one, I can just very gently move it over with my scribe (just a part of the line, not the whole line). I continue this until I'm done. And that's pretty much it. I know it all sounds quite particular, but any other way won't work for me.
It takes about 30 minutes to pipe the lines and about three hours to pipe the dots (all that pattern counting) so I don't think I could sell these cookies (well, actually I'd love to sell them at a fair price), so for now I just do them for the love of it! I hope this helps!
P.S. For my "Mosaic" cookies, I follow the same as above, but I use a medium consistency icing, which means I can't "fix" crooked lines. They have to perfect in one shot. For that I can only say that I spent years honing my fine motor skills!
Thank you so much for sharing your tips! I always use medium consistency icing for drawing any kind of lines and I've never thought stiff icing lines can be removed easily. I need to try that next time. I don't think I have so much patience to do this complicated pattern though!
Stunning!! Are there any tips to draw those straight lines precisely?
Glad you asked!
First, I use a PME tip#1. The lines flow beautifully from the tube and are the perfect thickness. Second, I use a medium/stiff consistency icing. It should flow from the tube like a medium consistency but dry relatively quickly like a stiffer icing (this is important for later on). And third, I pipe on the back of the cookie as it has a flat surface.
I then draw one horizontal and one vertical line through the centre of the cookie. This is my reference to ensure that the lines will be straight and perpendicular. I draw the vertical lines first (I like the look of the horizontal lines showing). These lines don't have to be perfect and it's okay if your icing breaks as you don't really see these lines.
I then draw the horizontal lines (the important ones). For these lines, I rest my elbow on the table and use it to pivot my arm while piping. In other words, the only movement is in my elbow. I face the line I am piping directly and I pipe moving away from me. This allows me to "eyeball" a straight and parallel line. I also keep my breathing very shallow. This is also where a stiffer icing is important. Because the icing is stiffer, it dries quicker and does not completely stick to the vertical lines right away. If a part of one of my lines is not exactly parallel to the previous one, I can just very gently move it over with my scribe (just a part of the line, not the whole line). I continue this until I'm done. And that's pretty much it. I know it all sounds quite particular, but any other way won't work for me.
It takes about 30 minutes to pipe the lines and about three hours to pipe the dots (all that pattern counting) so I don't think I could sell these cookies (well, actually I'd love to sell them at a fair price), so for now I just do them for the love of it! I hope this helps!
P.S. For my "Mosaic" cookies, I follow the same as above, but I use a medium consistency icing, which means I can't "fix" crooked lines. They have to perfect in one shot. For that I can only say that I spent years honing my fine motor skills!
Thank you so much for sharing your tips! I always use medium consistency icing for drawing any kind of lines and I've never thought stiff icing lines can be removed easily. I need to try that next time. I don't think I have so much patience to do this complicated pattern though!
Stunning!! Are there any tips to draw those straight lines precisely?
Glad you asked!
First, I use a PME tip#1. The lines flow beautifully from the tube and are the perfect thickness. Second, I use a medium/stiff consistency icing. It should flow from the tube like a medium consistency but dry relatively quickly like a stiffer icing (this is important for later on). And third, I pipe on the back of the cookie as it has a flat surface.
I then draw one horizontal and one vertical line through the centre of the cookie. This is my reference to ensure that the lines will be straight and perpendicular. I draw the vertical lines first (I like the look of the horizontal lines showing). These lines don't have to be perfect and it's okay if your icing breaks as you don't really see these lines.
I then draw the horizontal lines (the important ones). For these lines, I rest my elbow on the table and use it to pivot my arm while piping. In other words, the only movement is in my elbow. I face the line I am piping directly and I pipe moving away from me. This allows me to "eyeball" a straight and parallel line. I also keep my breathing very shallow. This is also where a stiffer icing is important. Because the icing is stiffer, it dries quicker and does not completely stick to the vertical lines right away. If a part of one of my lines is not exactly parallel to the previous one, I can just very gently move it over with my scribe (just a part of the line, not the whole line). I continue this until I'm done. And that's pretty much it. I know it all sounds quite particular, but any other way won't work for me.
It takes about 30 minutes to pipe the lines and about three hours to pipe the dots (all that pattern counting) so I don't think I could sell these cookies (well, actually I'd love to sell them at a fair price), so for now I just do them for the love of it! I hope this helps!
P.S. For my "Mosaic" cookies, I follow the same as above, but I use a medium consistency icing, which means I can't "fix" crooked lines. They have to perfect in one shot. For that I can only say that I spent years honing my fine motor skills!
Thank you so much for sharing your tips! I always use medium consistency icing for drawing any kind of lines and I've never thought stiff icing lines can be removed easily. I need to try that next time. I don't think I have so much patience to do this complicated pattern though!
Your welcome!
What a great explanation of how you create these beauties. Thank you for the mini-tutorial!! Still in awe.
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