Putting A Skirt On A Girl Figure??? Aaaaaargh!
Decorating By dawnybird Updated 14 Sep 2013 , 2:00pm by dawnybird
Okay, I've been posting about the cake for my granddaughter with a girl and butterflies, etc. I'm trying to make the girl. I've made a few figures but they've always been guys with jeans, and so on. I can do them fairly well, but now I want a delicate girl with thin arms and legs and a dress. I've made the torso, the arms and now I'm trying to add a skirt.
Do I make a circle and cut a hole in the middle, or a strip that I ruffle with a ball tool and attach? Or is there some other way? Please tell me there is because I've tried those methods and I'm about to scream! Nothing is working! I really need help.
I've looked on CC and on Youtube for tutorials, but can't find any like I'm talking about. I know there are more tutorials here on CC but I must not be using the right search words.
When you made a hole in the center of a circle, did you cut a slit to the center or just try to stretch it into place? Perhaps adding a little tylose and letting the cut circle firm up ever so slightly before attachment would help. The only skirts I made were on figures sitting down where I just laid the intact circle over a ball of fondant which rested upon the legs or the bent knees.
<a href="http://cakecentral.com/g/i/2918808/little-cowgirls-5th-birthday-cake/u/700117/flat/1/"><img src="http://cakecentral.com/image/id/7187903/width/400/flags/LL"></a>
Or this one where I was making a fairy and used a leaf cutter and leaves for the skirt. Made the same way over a ball of fondant:
<a href="http://cakecentral.com/g/i/3067666/amelias-7th-birthday-she-loves-fairies-so-these-fondant-fairies-live-by-the-blueberry-wasc-mushroom-in-a-field-of-blue-fondant-campanula-and-yellow-fondant-buttercups-the-mushroom-cake-is-torted-and-filled-with-lemon-curd-covered-with-white/album/60/flat/1"><img src="http://cakecentral.com/image/id/8893125/width/400/flags/LL"></a>
I don't know if this will help you or not. All I can say is take a deep breath, get away from it for a minute then give it another go. (It is easy for me to say. I can't tell you the number of canvases I've slashed in a fit of exasperation. Patience has only come to me after many years.)
Good luck. I hope someone else has another solution for you.
Jan
Edited to correct spelling
Jan, thank you for the suggestions. You were sweet to go to so much trouble. Your cakes are really cute. I plan to have my girl sitting next to a tree stump (the actual cake) and have her legs bent and to the side. (you know how you have to put your legs when you sit on the ground with a skirt!) I hope I can figure this out. I really want my sweet girl to have a special cake that reflects her personality.
Does anyone else have suggestions for me? I'm still struggling with this figure! I had trouble sleeping last night because I kept trying to figure out how to do what seems like it should be a simple thing! If I could see a tutorial or have some good clear instruction it would help so much. Please!
Hi
Have you tried searching on the internet under girl fondant figure with skirt? There might be a tutorial on there to help you. I am a visual person as well and prefer to see how things are done. Good Luck
Oh, I so know what you mean when you speak of taking a cake problem to bed with you! It seems when I am in the middle of a cake, I awake in the middle of the night, often with the solution.
I went to bed last night with your Aaaaaaargh ringing in my ears. I almost got up to type this letter to you. First of all, take a look at this link.
I know that you already have made several of the parts, but could part of your difficulty be the medium you're working with? Liz's recipe for her fondant, (found on the same site, scroll further down), is my go-to now for figure making. I prefer MFF for general cake covering, but this LMF I love for sculpting.
I really think that with your figure sitting, as you describe, it should work like her video shows. Just don't make a baby bump! 
Good luck and I hope you have a sound night's sleep tonight!
Jan
Quote:
Hi
Have you tried searching on the internet under girl fondant figure with skirt? There might be a tutorial on there to help you. I am a visual person as well and prefer to see how things are done. Good Luck
Yes, I have searched the net, but not with those particular words. Funny how just changing the wording of your search can bring up all kinds of new things. Thank you.
Hi, I am new to fondant figurine as well and this is how I make simple skirt:
First make the leg. Then cut out a circle.
Place the circle on the leg and fold it in half to make it a skirt.
Connect the leg with the body and it would look something like this,
Hope it helps.
Quote:
Oh, I so know what you mean when you speak of taking a cake problem to bed with you! It seems when I am in the middle of a cake, I awake in the middle of the night, often with the solution.
I went to bed last night with your Aaaaaaargh ringing in my ears. I almost got up to type this letter to you. First of all, take a look at this link.
Here are many tutorials that may help. I was looking for a particular tute to send you, one where she makes a Christmas elf and shows how to make a skirt like I was earlier trying to describe. Apparently it was only a limited, seasonal one for it has since been deleted. I am thinking that the one here where she makes a pregnant woman (no reflexion on your sweet little daughter ! ) just might be of help to you for her general principle of doing skirts.
This was how I made my elf with her skirt. (I know, her face is scary and she is too booby. She was one of my firsts.) I construct my figures on top of a block of styrofoam, placing the legs first--whether hanging or bent, or as yours--tucked to the side. Then I insert a wooden skewer into the styro where the remainder of the body will be. Slide the ball of fondant for the buttocks/abdomen over the skewer, first moistening with gum glue. Cut the circle for the skirt and slide that down, arranging it over the lower body. Construct the torso, sort of a wedge shape, in proportion to the parts already assembled. Use the same color as the skirt so when you are finished it will look like a dress. Then you won't have to separately "clothe" the torso. The top portion will become the shoulders, so take a ball tool and made a depression on each side where the arms will be attached. Put the arms on, first moistening with gum glue, and then a small ball, rolled to a small cylinder, for the neck. Cut the skewer to the proper size to allow the neck and head to be placed. I like to wait for the body to firm up a day before placing the head, and during that time the head, which I made from fondant/tylose, has time to firm up also.
Apply the hair and whatever and she should be ready to place on the cake or board next to the cake.
Like I said, it looks like you have already completed so much of your figure, so this might be redundant. It might not even apply to your situation. This is just what I do and once you've done it you can modify the technique to any of your figures. I made my blue fairy kneeling and the green fairy reclining after making the first elf who had her legs hanging over the side.
Here is my scary, booby Christmas elf!
<a href="http://cakecentral.com/g/i/2870314/christmas/u/700117/flat/1/"><img src="http://cakecentral.com/image/id/5496794/width/400/flags/LL"></a>
I know that you already have made several of the parts, but could part of your difficulty be the medium you're working with? Liz's recipe for her fondant, (found on the same site, scroll further down), is my go-to now for figure making. I prefer MFF for general cake covering, but this LMF I love for sculpting.
I really think that with your figure sitting, as you describe, it should work like her video shows. Just don't make a baby bump!
Good luck and I hope you have a sound night's sleep tonight!
Jan
Jan, you are so sweet! Can't believe you almost lost sleep worrying about me!! This morning, after several more failed attempts, I cut a circle, then a smaller circle out of the middle, so I had a ring. I cut off about a third of the ring and ruffled the bottom. Then I was able to just drape it around the torso and didn't have all the extra material in the way. I had seen this on Edna de la Cruz' video for making ruffled flowers. I thought it might work for this too and it did!!!!! Your explanation of how you assemble your figures did help me because, while I had some of the elements made, I hadn't yet assembled them. So thank you for that and for the great link! Now to figure out how to do decent looking long hair! Haha! The learning never ends. I can't tell you how much I appreciate your thoughtfulness. Maybe I'll post a pic when I finish. I've never posted any of my cakes because I don't think they're good enough yet and I don't want to be embarrassed!
Quote:
Hi, I am new to fondant figurine as well and this is how I make simple skirt:
First make the leg. Then cut out a circle.
Place the circle on the leg and fold it in half to make it a skirt.
Connect the leg with the body and it would look something like this,
Hope it helps.
Oh, thank you so much for the drawing. That helps, having a visual. Your little figure looks so sweet. Just what I have pictured (minus the boobs! haha! My granddaughter is only turning 8!) I really appreciate your help!
Dawnybird, don't ever fear posting a picture. If I can post a picture of an ugly, booby elf, (still can't believe I haven't deleted her yet), you shouldn't have any hesitation!
I look forward to your post. And no matter what, your grand daughter will be thrilled!
Starrywood, your figure is so cute.
Jan
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Dawnybird, don't ever fear posting a picture. If I can post a picture of an ugly, booby elf, (still can't believe I haven't deleted her yet), you shouldn't have any hesitation!
I look forward to your post. And no matter what, your grand daughter will be thrilled!
Starrywood, your figure is so cute.
Jan
Haha! You crack me up with the "ugly, booby elf"! I guess I'll think about starting to post my pics. Thanks!
Hmm. Now if the dress were yellow, instead of blue, and she had birds in her hands, and there were also figures of "old men playing checkers by the trees" (and perhaps also a "striped pair of pants") then the girl in blue would be perfect for a "MacArthur Park" cake: just add a green drizzle-glaze to the cake ("MacArthur's Park is melting in the dark, all the sweet green icing's flowing down").
Quote:
Hmm. Now if the dress were yellow, instead of blue, and she had birds in her hands, and there were also figures of "old men playing checkers by the trees" (and perhaps also a "striped pair of pants") then the girl in blue would be perfect for a "MacArthur Park" cake: just add a green drizzle-glaze to the cake ("MacArthur's Park is melting in the dark, all the sweet green icing's flowing down").
Haha! James, I knew which song you were referring to with the first line! I love that stupid old song!
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