i'm thinking i might want to attempt cornelli lace, but i was wondering if anyone had any tips or tricks to go about doing it? as in, should i start on the sides of the cake and then work my way to the top? should i do little circular sections at a time? i've never done it before, so any advice and tricks would be greatly appreciated!

I think you are supposed to do sections at a time. I've only done it a couple of times and that's how I did it.

For the sides of a cake, I make sure the cake is eye level. I use a 3 tip and just make lower case cursive "r's". Just don't make it noticeable where you stop and start from. I always come in from the top or bottom. You will be surprised how easy it is once you get going. HTH.

Slow and steady is the best advise I can give. I always try to roll up from the side to the top to keep the design going and not leave an edge if I'm not going to be using a border. Be careful to not let your design get larger as you go -- I try to stop to rest and check over what I've done to make sure I am staying on track.

Good luck - it does make a beautiful cake!

Suze

Here is something I found on Wilton. HTH
http://www.wilton.com/technique/Cornelli-Lace

This is my all time favorite technique to use on a cake
Use tip 2 or even 1........*NEVER!* any larger. It is to be delicate and lacy.
Strain your b'cream! Use a knee hi stocking. Place it on your hand; fill palm w/icing; remove stocking by turning it inside out as you take it off. Squeeze icing thru. Usually one doesn't need more than one handful. Usually straining is enough but you can also add about 1/2 teaspoon piping gel to thin it some if it's thick consistency.
Think making "M", "W" and "U" as you pipe. Make sure the lines never touch or cross. I start at the bottom of the sides working up and around in small sections.

Edited to add: Yes, definitely have the cake elevated to eye level.... and agree, work slow and steady, stopping to rest the hand and check out what you have accomplished
After seeing that link to Wilton's example I must say........NO, please NO!
Don't make it in lines like the example. Remember that sample is thin lines so you don't want to go up and down - work in circles, sections instead. http://www.cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=gallery&file=displayimage&pid=1300910

ive only ever done bits of cornelli, ive not covered a whole cake - but id just whack it on. not totally breaking it into X inch by X inch sections, cause then you will probably notice the 'boxes' more, but having a vague 'working on this section now' notion, and as you get to the edges, moving to a new section.
xx

I don't think it matters, just remember to make it one big long string. Start on the top (or somewhere that won't be seen) and pipe one continuous line. Good luck

Avoid working in patterns. When you're done, it should look like lace, not lines of "R's" that go up and down or back and forth.

If I were doing lace on a clock face, I'd start at 10 and lace to toward the 6, but halfway there, swoop it up toward the three, then curve it back toward the 11, curving it back toward the 10, but then swinging it over to the 2.

Yeah, it's confusing, but you want a no-pattern pattern.

Yes, use no bigger than a tip 2.

Thin the icing for easy flow and less cramping on your hands. Take the Advil BEFORE you start.

I LOVE to do cornelli lace, and all the advice given so far is GREAT. However, you CAN stop and start - it doesn't affect the design. I've been swirling around and found myself at a "dead end". Just stop clean, and pick up again somewhere else.

I read that you shouldn't cross lines, just squiggle and swirl gracefully. Indydebi's no-pattern pattern advice is the best way to describe it. Take breaks or you do start repeating too much. I also switch around, front - back - left - right sections so if you do fall into a bit of repetitiveness it's spread out. Stop and look at it regularly too watching for gaps or pattern-patterns forming.

Have fun! It's a time consuming technique, but once you get the hang of it, it's fairly easy....while still being very pretty and very impressive when completed.

oh great. i wasn't getting any email notifications about this thread, so i just didn't do the cornelli lace. i got intimidated plus, my icing wouldn't color black for ANYTHING, so i just did some "string work" (if you could call it that) that i could paint over with some airbrush color. thank you for all the great tips! i mainly only do cakes for my house, so i'll do cornelli lace on the next cake keeping all this advice in mind.

here's my cake sans the lace. please ignore the stupid marks left by the garland maker. the marks didn't line up right in the back, so i just winged it. but was still left with the marks. (this cake wasn't for anybody in particular... just wanted to try to do a little 8" inspired by the merci beacoup cake )

I covered a HUGE wedding cake in cornelli lace back in 1995. My hand still hurts!!

Here is a cake I covered with cornelli - NEVER use over a #2 tip - it will not be dainty if you do. I did start and stop with this cake - several times. Just be sure to pick back up where you left off. One other thing is make sure you go over the edge of the cake instead of stopping there - the whole cake will look seamless that way. It is a very pretty design when it is done right - and it can be really ugly when it isn't!

http://cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=gallery&file=displayimage&pid=69988

I did one layer for a Wilton class cake. Had to cover up my pock-marked homemade fondant. Never wanted to stop the pattern and movement (probably not a smart approach!) so I have a few loopies and two paralell lines at the bottom. Make sure you have your cake at eye level. My example is not great at all, but it really was fun to do!
http://www.cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=gallery&file=displayimage&pid=1397007

ahhh where would i be without cc?


probably sitting in dark corner crying about my swollen wrist.. thats where. =)

so happy to stumble across this. doing my first lace work tonight.. and was gonna use the same b/c that i used for my frozen b/c transfer.. that had my wrist aching about 2 mins in.

thanks again for all your lovely advice. =)