Ugly Fat Flowers - Help!

Do you have any photos you could share, as they might help people troubleshoot for you? And could you tell us what tip you used when piping the flowers in the photo?

In the absence of that info, my guesses are: 

(1) You aren't using icing that's thick enough, and/or
(2) You're accidentally rotating the fat end of the tip upward when you pipe (rather than always having it facing down toward the flower nail).

Julia M. Usher posted:

Do you have any photos you could share, as they might help people troubleshoot for you? And could you tell us what tip you used when piping the flowers in the photo?

In the absence of that info, my guesses are: 

(1) You aren't using icing that's thick enough, and/or
(2) You're accidentally rotating the fat end of the tip upward when you pipe (rather than always having it facing down toward the flower nail).

I did make sure I had the larger end of the opening towards the flower nail. I used a Wilton 101s tip.

loco_meow posted:

Julia M. Usher posted:

Do you have any photos you could share, as they might help people troubleshoot for you? And could you tell us what tip you used when piping the flowers in the photo?

In the absence of that info, my guesses are: 

(1) You aren't using icing that's thick enough, and/or
(2) You're accidentally rotating the fat end of the tip upward when you pipe (rather than always having it facing down toward the flower nail).

I did make sure I had the larger end of the opening towards the flower nail. I used a Wilton 101s tip.

Then your icing is too thin and/or your tip is interfering with the petal you previously piped and smudging/spreading it. Sometimes the latter happens to me, but working with a VERY thick icing helps prevent petals from smooshing into each other and makes it easier to pipe more continuously (and still have separation between petals).

Though I must say, it almost looks like the fat end of the tip is faced up. I work with Ateco and Wilton petal tips and don't experience this effect, but I work with an extremely thick icing - one that clings to my spatula without ever dropping off.

Julia M. Usher posted:

loco_meow posted:

Julia M. Usher posted:

Do you have any photos you could share, as they might help people troubleshoot for you? And could you tell us what tip you used when piping the flowers in the photo?

In the absence of that info, my guesses are: 

(1) You aren't using icing that's thick enough, and/or
(2) You're accidentally rotating the fat end of the tip upward when you pipe (rather than always having it facing down toward the flower nail).

I did make sure I had the larger end of the opening towards the flower nail. I used a Wilton 101s tip.

Then your icing is too thin and/or your tip is interfering with the petal you previously piped and smudging/spreading it. Sometimes the latter happens to me, but working with a VERY thick icing helps prevent petals from smooshing into each other and makes it easier to pipe more continuously (and still have separation between petals).

Though I must say, it almost looks like the fat end of the tip is faced up. I work with Ateco and Wilton petal tips and don't experience this effect, but I work with an extremely thick icing - one that clings to my spatula without ever dropping off.

Thank you for your help.  Tomorrow will be making extra thick icing and practicing flowers.

Let me know how it goes!

Loco Meow I'd like to see how they turn out to as I'm also having problems with my flowers

It's possible that the narrow side of the tip is opened wider than it should be. On occasion I've had to use a pair of needle-nosed pliers to gently narrow it.