Crying..mad...upset...so Disgusted And Feeling
Decorating By wgoat5 Updated 20 Jul 2007 , 12:58pm by RRGibson
like I will NEVER learn how to do a loopy bow!!! I made my fondant..added gumpaste, rolled it out (fine) cut (fine), started making my loops...kinda had problems but...turned out ok...all of them were nice teardrop shapes (thanks cakesbyallison for the tip) and dried them using a fan to speed up process (the bow isn't due on a cake till the 30th). Well they dried really nice and I pearl dusted them...Here is where I had the problem...I started putting them together....put a glob of RI on the bottom (on wax paper) started my first row but the first row started getting thicker and thicker... already didn't look right...started my 2nd row and used waded up paper towels to prop them up till the RI dried...looking more pathetic...then my last row....I got so angry (I am a mild tempered person)...I got up walked away...decided to put the curly q's on and the big fondant hearts for the middle of the bow and it looked even worse!!!!!!! Now Im crying..my little girls looking at me..I chuck it in the garbage...all that work and it made me so mad I chucked it!!!!!!!! Now they know I have never done a bow (the person who this cake is for..) But I wanted to learn this so bad that I couldn't stand it...then to hear people say.."OHHHH It is sooooo easy"...well I must be a flipping darn forsaken dummy dummy (*#&(##&(&n of a person because I can't ...Sorry for the rant..but I have no clue how I am possibly gonna learn this if I am all of a sudden losing my patience!!! Has anybody elses bows been failures???? oh yeah, I didn't take a pic cause even my youngest (5 year old) said what is that mommy a spider???? OOOOOOOOOHHHH Help me please before I lose my sanity!!
Thanks for "listening"
I have had a few early bows look a bit peculiar. Don't be so hard on yourself. Learning new things can be tricky. It does help to SEE the assembly. Is there someone near you that can show you first hand?
Without seeing your loops and your assembly, I can't help with what went wrong.
hmm...well I could dig it out of the trash I guess lol..
well I went and checked and kids already through stuff on top of it ...I do though have pics of the loops ....just not put together....this was supposed to go on a 7 x 7 square cake. So what do you think the length of the bow loops should of been (before forming the loop?)
edited for spelling
Sometimes it seems a little harder than it really is.
I use nothing but MMF or regular fondant, depending on the color need, to make my bows.
I roll it out, use a straight edge and a pizza cutter to cut it. ( I just eyeball the lengths) Usually about 5 1/2 inches or so, making some for the upper section just a bit smaller. A dab of water on one end, pinch the ends together. Lay them on their sides on a cookie sheet and let them dry.
I also never put the bows together ahead of time, just a glob of buttercream and insert bow ends, propping each row on top of the last. You can move them around until you get it just right. Also, when it comes time for the party, the server can just pull it apart and everyone gets a loop with their piece of cake.
I always use gumpaste to make my bow loops it dryes quickly and are very sturdy, and i use a small amount of fondant to insert them on, instead of buttercream i find it gives more support. Best of Luck!!!
My first bow (in my pics) took me oh, like, two days to put together I rolled, and cut and formed just like it said in the directions too. Let them dry overnight. Dusted them as you did and when it came time to put together, they were HUGE! None of them 'fit' when I laid them . I don't recall where the directions came from, Oh yes, I think it was Wil... ! Anyways I ended up havin to cut the bottoms into points in order to make them fit. And it was still quite big. I then found the tutorial on CC, which made a whole lot more sense to me. I recommend reading that one before your next bow. I have made a few since and it goes alot smoother for me. Sorry this is so long - just wanted to let you know you aren't alone
http://www.cakecentral.com/article17-How-to-Make-a-Fondant-Loop-Bow.html
Try this article, it might help you to be able to see what you need to do to correct the problem.
Susan
Sable that is to funny, because I too ended up cutting my loops ...made points on the ends....still when I put them together...no dice...still looked awful..and like I said I am usually a very very patient person. I guess it just wasn't my day. I do have that tutorial but I thought I had done it right...going to read it again and see just where I went wrong
Sable that is to funny, because I too ended up cutting my loops ...made points on the ends....still when I put them together...no dice...still looked awful..and like I said I am usually a very very patient person. I guess it just wasn't my day. I do have that tutorial but I thought I had done it right...going to read it again and see just where I went wrong
I also never put the bows together ahead of time. Tried once-total disaster!
I let them dry as many days as possible, turning them over on both edges to get the whole loop dry. Then after my cake is frosted, I do a little test run to see which loop will go on which layer right on the counter ( without the frosting "glue") then I assemble it right onto the cake.
It sounds like yours weren't dry enough to start assemblng it. Don't give up, just try again. When you added your luster dust did you mix it with something (vanilla, water etc.) or did you brush it on dry? If it was applied wet it would affect your bows and they need to dry out again before assembly.
Good luck, you CAN do it!
no I actually brushed them dry..Maybe they weren't fully dry though there did seem to be a little give to them...but when you all assemble yours ..for the loops at the bottom do you pinch the ends like flat or pinch them so the pinch is straight up and down? Could that be my problem? When I pinched the bottom of the loops I thought they would work better if I did them flat so they could lay on top of each other...or do you go around in a circle instead of on top of each other?
Oh you poor thing! My first one didn't go so well either so you're not alone. I cut the pieces for the loops too long first. Then when I was putting it together, I also found that it didn't fit very well together. I'm wondering is there something else that we can use to put them together besides frosting so that they can be put together ahead of time and can be moved as a single unit. That would make it alot easier for me.
I just got done making my first bow for my daughter's birthday party this Saturday. I made the loops, let them dry and thought I'd get a head start by putting them together yesterday. Somehow, the moisture from the royal icing made my loops damp again and they all started to wilt. I've got them all jerry rigged right now hoping they'll dry again and keep the right shape. But, my first bow experience wasn't (or should I say isn't) great either! We'll see if there is a happy ending when I finish the cake on Saturday.
I am right there with you. I have now made something like 4 bows and none of them have turned out right. No offense to the tutorial here on the cc site but that is the one that I have used and everything is fine up until it is time to assembe the stupid thing and then it just looks awkward and nothing seems to "fit" together like it should. I have just about gave up and started to by my loops already made out in the sizes that I need from my supplier. I feel your pain
I was just reading someplace yesterday on here and somebody said to leave in the tissue or plastic wrap in the bow until you place it on the cake and then take it out so the shape of the loops is supported as long as possible I guess. Good luck with the next one. I would suggest taking pictures that way if you have trouble along the way you can ask and get better help.
eme926 - that sounds really easy! I will have to try that sometime. I've never worked with fondant, but the more I read about it, the more curious I get.
Susie
It is extremely easy, I cut the bow loops out usually the night before. Although, I have used the loops in as little as two hours.
Takes all of about a minute and a half to assemble and whoopadee doo....yer dun!
Has anyone ever tried hanging the loops on a dowel to try, so that they are all the same size? I have not, but I read/heard somewhere to try this trick.
You can do that, but I prefer a more rounded loop. Hanging them tends to make the loops a little elongated.
Also, I tend to make the loops a little variated in sizes because it makes it a little easier to get the shape I want in the completed bow.
oh so many ideas!! How do you get the bow to stay together when you assemble the same day? And I am going to post the pic of my loops..not put together but maybe I did something wrong there?
(((((((((((((((((((((HUGS)))))))))))))))))))))
I feel your pain, I can't do a Rose to save my soul.
Fondant bows do take a little practice, but once you've got it down, you'll be able to do it in your sleep! I'm so sorry that you're so frustrated with this one. Your loops look very long and skinny (but maybe that's the look you were going for?) They also look flat on one side, which could make them look odd when you start stacking them. I made a tutorial for the way I do them, which is a little different than the CC tutorial. I hope it helps!
http://www.cakeboss.com/FondantBowTutorial.aspx
i was just reading through my "confetti cakes" book again today, and her instructions seemed simple...maybe you can check those out? keep in mind that this is coming from someone who hasn't done one yet...
Here are some of mine.
And, I ALWAYS make more than I need, and then throw the extras in a container so I'll have a bow on hand at short notice.
Put down a "glob" of buttercream, about an inch and a half across and maybe an inch tall, place eight loops around some on their sides, and some more standing. If you need to, you can add a little more frosting at this point, then add the remaining loops needed to fill in your bow.
Just play with it on a practice surface, put it together and take it apart until you get it the way you want.
This
that cakeboss tutorial is really good - I like the hint on turning some of the loops on their sides
I think I need to try one of these! Your loops are very pretty eme926.
Hey goat I have been wondering.... just how big are your babies? (been wonderin' that for a while now! )
I am sorry to read that you are experiencing such frustrations. If I have run out of time, I usually reserve some of the gum paste that I used to make the bow, and I build up the layers by adding gum paste balls and vanilla. Then, I curl up some ribbon to place in between any loops where I might want to conceal a spot. After the gum paste has some time to dry, it is good to move over to the cake without too much moving around. I hope that this helps; I have not had any bows to fall apart on me this way.
Fondant bows do take a little practice, but once you've got it down, you'll be able to do it in your sleep! I'm so sorry that you're so frustrated with this one. Your loops look very long and skinny (but maybe that's the look you were going for?) They also look flat on one side, which could make them look odd when you start stacking them. I made a tutorial for the way I do them, which is a little different than the CC tutorial. I hope it helps!
http://www.cakeboss.com/FondantBowTutorial.aspx
Wow thumbs up to you and your great tutorials! Thankyou so much for posting a castle cake tutorial! I had been interested in doing one, but was kind of intimidated. I'm not anymore.
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