Help!  I am using tip 070 to pipe buttercream ruffles but after a couple of hours the ruffles fall off.  Anyone else having this problem?  Any suggestions of how to solve this would be greatly appreciated.  I have a 3 tiered anniversary cake due in 5 days and can't seem to solve this.  Thanks for any advise.

Try sticking the nose of the tip into the buttercream (crumb coat) as your'e piping and see if that helps it to adhere. This is one of those tips you need to practice with to get the pressure control just right. Good luck.

Just found this youtube video where they show how to use that tip. You can she that she's got quite a bit of frosting on the sides before using this tip. Sorry I'm not more helpful. She starts using that tip at about 1:30 on the video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZivF74n1RUA&feature=related

I use that tip all the time for ruffles.  The trick is to make sure that your icing is the right consistency.  Too dry and the ruffles will fall off, too wet and the ruffles will fall flat.  You can add some corn syrup to your icing to give it a little sticky and flexibility.  Just practice with different consistencies until you find the right one.
 

Thanks, I will change up the buttercream and see how it turns out.  I have tried it twice already.  The first time I added meringue powder because I thought it probably needed to crust to hold its shape better.  The second time I left out the meringue powder and added less powdered sugar.  You are so right, it was too wet and I went back and added more powdered sugar and 1 TBSP. of corn syrup.  The cake looked beautiful but it only lasted about 3 hours until the ruffles began to fall off.  I will try again to change the consistency I obviously am just not getting it right.  When you pipe do use thin, med, or thick consistency for these ruffles?  Thanks.

Thanks Chaka1, I watched the video but my cake is ruffles from top to bottom - not sure if that makes a difference or not.  I will try holding the tip closer.  To me this is the major problem, it just doesn't seem like enough of the ruffle is resting on the cake.  It seems like there is an air pocket under the ruffle so eventually gravity just pulls it off.  I'm doing one last attempt today.  I'm going to work on the consistency and holding the tip closer.  Keep your fingers crossed for me.  If this doesn't work it probably means changing the whole design.  Geeeezzzzz.  Thanks again for your help.

I use a medium consistency.  I also don't like the cake I am piping on to be very crusted yet, so I do it pretty quickly after I ice the cake.

Thanks, I am giving one last try.  I'll let you know how it turns out.

I am very happy to report that I did one last cake and all the ruffles stayed on!! What a relief!  I'm not sure what did the trick but here are the things that I changed.  I added corn syrup to the buttercream.  I crumb coated the cake but I started adding ruffles immediately before it had time to form a crust.  I used a size 12 tip and made a ledge under each round of ruffles so they had something to rest on.  I also made sure the tip was pressed into the cake.  Thanks guys for taking time to help me.  I'm new to the site and this was my first post.  I will definitely post again - its great to have advice.  I will try to post a pic of the finished cake.  (If I can figure out how to upload a pic - I'm not great with computers). Thanks again and God Bless. 

Yeah!!!!!! Glad it worked out

I use a Wilton tip 12 to pipe a "ledge" for by 070 ruffles to rest on.  The seem to stick to the lip better and it gives them some lift.  I show the technique here:

http://cupadeecakes.blogspot.com/2012/08/buttercream-ruffle-tutorial_14.html
 

Well...just a little piece of info.  These special ruffle tips (030-090) were developed for royal icing and NON crusting buttercream, of a softer than normal consistency. 

They work properly when you use heavy pressure and the "top" of the tip right up against the freshly iced cake.  The tip has to be at the correct angle inside the bag so that the ruffle comes out at your thumb where you are putting more pressure on the bag.  No plastic wrap inside the bag...that interferes with the action of the tip. It helps to mark the curving line of the ruffle with a cookie cutter.

So make up a bag with softish icing (not quite as soft as for leaves) and practise on a cake tin. The top of the tip should form a bead and the free side should shape the ruffle just enough that it doesn't fall off the cake anymore than a tip 104 ruffle does.