Hi, new here. And new to piping! I've been decorating for over a year now, I skipped pipping and went straight to fondant and gumpaste. I'm in love with molding/sculpting, making gumpaste flowers, covering cakes with home made fondant. I am now taking small cake orders, which means they dont want to pay for fondant! I've figured out the techniques behind piping different flowers, roses, borders - - but the consistency of my frosting sucks! no happy medium! too thick, too dry, too thin - - i've tried six recipes and i'm frustrated and ready to throw in the towel on piping! i'm a perfectionist, i do things over and over again unti it's perfect. I just cant seem to get this perfect! please help!!! thaniks! 
Take a Wilton class if you can. Both Hobby Lobby and Michaels offer the classes frequently and you will learn not only HOW to pipe, but a few good buttercream recipes that are pretty much fool proof for piping. The bonus is you have an instructor right there to give you pointers as you learn. The classes (4?) usually run about $25. You will have to purchase the course manuals but they will give you a good discount.
Classes are not an option for me. I work a full-time job on-top of decorating cakes and the closest place that has the classes is more than a two hour drive one way. i've got the instruction books, thinking maybe i should see if there are any recipes in them. thanks for the thought.
Switch to a meringue icing. Both SMBC and IMBC come out the perfect consistency for every application without having to many any alterations. You make it one way and that works for icing and filling and piping, even roses. No more messing about changing icing consistency.
I'm going to try the IMBC first, and if i fail, i'll try the SMBC. Thanks for the thoughts and advice. I'll keep trying!
It may not be the recipe that's giving you grief. Just about any buttercream recipe is a good recipe, but the consistency of the icing is altered depending on the humidity in your house, where you live, what season it is, there's several variables that can affect your icing consistency. I would find a recipe that you like the taste of and if it needs to be softer, add more milk. Thicker? Add more sugar. But keep in mind that it's easier to make it softer than it is thicker.
Play around with it and have fun!
EDIT: and as far as meringue icings go, I prefer IMBC over SMBC. I find it's easier to make.
If you want to just practice your skills, veg shortening is quick, easy and cheap. It is also the base of American BC so you will get the feel without having to actually have a set in stone ,favorite recipe .
yay! I have finally gotten it! I used the IMBC recipe and just kept at it and I've figured it out it. It wasnt just the frosting! Hats off to all of you! Piping isnt as easy as it looks! There are sooo many factors that can make piping go wrong! Still lean towards fondant.....but I dont dread piping anymore! thank you very much!!! 
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