East End Cake Decorators - February 2012 Meeting

We were treated to two very well-prepared demonstrations at our EECD meeting in February.  Cynthia L. showed members the correct way to do brush embroidery.  Lynne demonstrated pleating, different sizes and different methods.

Here Lynne has rolled out a large piece of fondant mixed with a bit of tylose for strength.  She begins by laying down  food-grade dowels, the first one in the middle under the fondant.  The next two on top and either side of the middle one.  She carries on in this manner to the size of drape she wants.

When the dowels are in, she trims to size and then carefully removes the dowels

She gently shaped the pleated piece, pinching each end together.

Here's the finished piece, several of which could be used on a tiered cake, and where the individual pieces of draping joined, place a gumpaste rose, for example.

Here she is working on a small fan-shaped piece

Here Lynne is demonstrating a pleating tray available from Creative Cutters, you can see the tray at the bottom of the photo.

This is a nice selection of Lynne's work.

Glenys tried her hand.  She's making a fan shaped piece.

Here it is finished.

Next, Cynthia demonstrated brush embroidery; for my embroidery readers this would be similar to long and short stitch.

Cynthia is outlining the leaf with royal icing

Next step is to gently brush icing from the inside edge of the leaf towards the centre of the leaf.  

There's definitely a technique to show that petals are overlapping.

Thank you both,  Lynne and Cynthia, for your interesting and informative demos.

The next meeting for members is on Sunday, 25th at 2pm at St. Margaret's in the Pines, Lawrence and Kingston Roads.


Glenys will demo gelatin flowers and wings.  If anyone has any gelatin items at home they've done before and would like to show them, that would be great.