It sounds like your icing may be slightly soft! I make roses on a stick all the time, never use the nail anymore!
The only time I have the problem you are describing is when my icing is not stiff enough. Then, the petals seem to just fall as you add additional petals! I would add a little bit of powdered sugar to my icing and rewhip it, then try again.
I had a little trouble when I first learned to make roses with this technique. Once you get the hang of it, it is really quite easy. So much faster for me than the nails! HTH!
[quote="gmcakes"]It sounds like your icing may be slightly soft! I make roses on a stick all the time, never use the nail anymore!
The only time I have the problem you are describing is when my icing is not stiff enough. Then, the petals seem to just fall as you add additional petals! I would add a little bit of powdered sugar to my icing and rewhip it, then try again.
I agree. I have only made my roses on a stick, could never get a hang of that darned nail 
But I have found the same thing. I simply add a little powdered sugar and it works like a charm.
Another thing to consider, if you use BC made entirely with butter it may be that the heat from your hands softens it up faster than you can pipe. If that is the case, you may want to try adding a little crisco to your BC. HTH!!!
I personally think that the roses made on the stick produce a prettier rose. Your icing needs to be firm. It will never work with soft icing. I have been using the stick for at least 30 years, when I taught the Wilton classes I had to really brush up on the nail rose, I hate the nail, it is too slow for me and besides the roses look like little cabbages. Practice, and practice more..... You will get it right one day, and you'll wonder why you ever used the nail in the first place.
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