Have a look at this tutorial http://www.flickr.com/photos/30279130@N02/3351316108/
My sister and I had a go at doing this. The only thing I would add is to use your smoother to smooth the seams as you are going. The fondant had dried too much by the time we were finished and we couldn't smooth the joins. Also, we did our fondant layer underneath a bit too thin. It's actually not too hard once you start. A pasta maker helps to get the fondant the same thickness then we used a Wilton ribbon cutter tool to cut various thicknesses.
I watched one of the cake challenges the other night and they were making a flag. They put it through a sheeter but I still dont know how they got them to stay so straight. They even put the stars on and sent the entire thing through the sheeter and the stars kept thier shape. It has me stumped.
I didn't watch the tutorial so I might be repeating but--
Using candy clay or chocolate plastique is an idea because it does not stretch like fondant does.
Another idea is to simply emboss the cake with lines the width of the stripes you want --I guess I mean impress the cake like with the edge of a ruler or with a bench scraper something with a nice long straight edge.
Then just paint them.
Striped ideas for you.
Thanks Kate! there is a bakery in SF that specializes in these striped cakes and the stripes are in the fondant not on and I am dying to figure this out...perfectly straight lines too...I will post the link to their cakes as soon as I find it again...but all great ideas I will try on this next cake I have this weekend... that wants stripes..
Stephany
Quote by @%username% on %date%
%body%