Okay, I've been doing this long enough to get this right, BUT I seem to always end up with raggedy edges on the petals. If I get the icing soft enough to not have the bad edges I end up with fat petals that kinda melt together.

There must be some trick to getting the icing just right for roses.......

Somebody please tell me what it is!!!!!!

Bend out the pointy end of the tip a little bit. Not a whole lot, just stick a fork in there and pry a teensy bit. That's probably what you need.

The consistency is right when you can pick up a little bit of icing between your finger and thumb and it doesn't stick to them.

could you post pics

It sounds like it's too dryadd more liquid to make it creamy, but not so much that the petals droop and won't hold their shape.

You'll know after making one rose, if you thinned it too much. You may need to add more powdered sugar a little at a time until it's right. I don't think I've ever experienced rose icing that was too stiffI can push a big bag with my heavy hands. IMO, raggedy edges would be better than melting roses. Much luck!

I have run into that problem since Crisco went trans fat free. I now use Sweetex when I have to do roses and it works great.

.......sounds like it's too dryadd more liquid to make it creamy......

NO, you don't really want to add more *liquid* as that will only *soften* the icing so the petals will not hold upright.
What is needed is more fat - Crisco or butter, whatever you use. That's what will make the icing creamier not soft. It may take just a tablespoon more per batch - maybe up to 1/4 cup.
Sometimes, but not very often, opening the tip wider will help but one must be careful or you will end up w/a carnation tip instead

Going to a bigger tip will just give one bigger roses. A 104 is big enough My 104 roses come out about the size of a 124 just by increasing pressure.

I've noticed two things. Not squeezing the bag hard enough and turning the flower nail too fast, which pulls and stretches the icing.

And as Kakiladi said, the icing being too dry. In class because I don't carry crisco around with me I have used piping gel to help add some creamy to the icing and it works great. At home you do have crisco/butter, so it's an easier fix.

My test for good rose icing is to roll a small amount up into a ball. Once in a ball squish it because your finger and thumb. You want the icing to fill sticky/tacky, but not actually come off on your finger, or not alot. If alot comes off on your finger it's too soft. If it doesn't feel sticky, it's too dry.

....noticed two things. Not squeezing the bag hard enough and turning the flower nail too fast,............

Oh Yes! I do remember that from my Wilton teaching days
It is a common 'beginner' problem.

Thanks for all the responses, I worked on some late last night, A couple were better, the others, not so much.

Charmed I would love to post some pics, but I am not very good at that either. When I first joined I was able to post some pics with an old camara we had. But, I can't get them to upload to the site with our current camara. (Guess I need to work on that too!)

I really think it is not getting the icing just right. I will try the adding the gel next.

Opening the tip up helped too!

Thanks so very much!!!!

After you make your icing add more shortening and powdered sugar. Not so stiff that it rolls up in a ball in the bowl but you could roll a ball of it in your hand and not soft like you would use to ice the cake. This is the most fool proof method I've found and I been making icing roses forever.

When I was learning to do roses, my WMI suggested that I add a little of the Wilton canned icing to my buttercream. It worked great for me - no more ragged edges!

Thanks SherryCanary62..... You know what they say, misery loves company!!!!

Keep me posted if you figure them out!

HMM Marla, I think I will try that. I'll go to Hobby Lobby tomorrow and get some!!!

Although, today I looked at some of my Mother's old Wilton books from the early 70-s and if you look real close at some, they can have some rough edges too.

Well, it soft of makes me feel better!