Battemberg Lace and Peace Rose

 

 

 by Marivi Bassabe

 

Battemberg Lace Technique and Peace Rose

 

Battemberg lace is a decorative fabric made from cotton, silk, etc. woven in an open web of

 

different symmetrical patterns and figures. It is a very old embroidery technique made by arranging

 

tape into a design, securing the tape and adding decorative filling stitches. Often the effect of the lace

 

is heightened by the color and texture of the fabric with which the lace is combined. Did you know

 

that cakes decorated with battemberg lace technique have a very romantic and delicate look?

 

You can decorate a cake with the Battemberg lace technique. The effect can be achieved by

 

making a ribbon of fondant or sugar paste, arranging into a design and filling it with different

 

stitches piped with royal icing. To conceal the seams usually a soutache, a narrow flat decorative

 

braid, is used.

 

There are a variety of cutters in the market that help to make the creation of battemberg lace a very

 

easy task, is only a matter of cutting the piece and filling with suitable stitches.

 

To make the stitches use tip number one. Below are the different stitches and a soutache that can

 

be use in making the battemberg lace:

 

1. Diagonal stitch 2. Y stitch 3. Bundled bars 4. Brick stitch 5. Continuous Loop

    

   6. Honeycomb 7. Grid Stitch 8. Stone look 9. Scallops stitch 10. Spider stitch

 

11. Soutache

    

 

   

 

 

 

  

 

Method

 

Top of cake

 

 

 

1. Cover a round 10” by 4” cake with black fondant. Cut a 8 inches diameter parchment paper

    

   circle and place on top of black covered cake.

    

 

2. Roll white fondant and cut a 12 inches round piece. Place on top of black covered cake, and the 8 inches parchment paper, leaving one inch overhang.

    

3. Moisten the inside border and attach to the cake, taking care that the piece is level all around.

 

 

3. Cut out and remove a 7 inches circle on top of cake.

    

 

 

 

 

5. Remove the circle of parchment paper from the center of the cake.

    

    

6. Roll very thinly white sugar paste or fondant and cut out the pieces for the design.

    

    

7. With the designer wheel mark stitches along the edge of each cut piece. Cover until you are

    

   ready to apply on the cake. Do not let dry.

    

    

8. Position the cut pieces, start at the center and work to the sides. Do not attach to the cake until

    

   you are satisfied with the symmetrical look. Dampen the pieces with water using a sable paint

    

   brush. Attach the moistened pieces to the cake.

    

    

    

9. Finish the design by linking the pieces with royal icing using different stitches.

    

10. Do a simple embroidery around the top edge of the cake.

     

     

Side of cake:

 

1. Attach side pieces to bottom of white fondant making sure you are level with outside edge. 

   1. Join the pieces filling with different stitches. 

   2. Place a border at the base of the cake.

       

 

 

 

Peace Rose

 

“Peace” rose is perhaps the most famous rose ever bred and still an excellent and very popular choice for gardeners. It grows with opulent, luscious flowers 6 inches wide. You can make this rose with gum paste or pastillage.

 

Materials:

Gum paste or pastillage

18, 22, 24, and 26 gauge wires

Yellow and green gum paste or pastillage

orange and yellow, moss green and burgundy petal dust

green paste color

 

Equipment

 

Jem Rose and calyx cutter

Cairo Rose leaf cutters

Rose leaf silicone veneer

CelPad

Celstick

Jem Decorating tools

Rolling pin

Green floral tape

Brushes

egg chocolate mold

Wooden ball

 

To make the Rosebud

 

 

1. Take a piece of yellow paste and roll it into a smooth ball. Then roll it into a pointed cone with a broad base.

    

2. Moisten a half-length 18 gauge hooked wire and insert it into the base of the cone. Leave the cones to dry.

    

3. Cut 3 petals, soften the edges with the balling tool. Moisten the petals down the left hand side, about three-quarters of the length from the tip, place one next to the other.

    

4. Wrap one side around the cone and the others around it to form a tight spiral, it is important to pull down on the edges of the petals to tighten the center.

    

5. Gently curl back the edges of the petals, creating a point at the tip. Leave to dry.

 

 

 

 

6. At this point you may add a calyx to form a rosebud.

    

 

 

 

 

To make the Rose

 

 

1. To make the center of the rose, follow the steps for the rosebud, but do not place the calyx on it.

2. Tint flower paste in a golden yellow.

3. With the rose petal cutter cut 15 petals leaving a central vein to insert the wire.

4. On the Celpad thin the edges with the Jem balling too, pressing the center with the wooden ball to make a hollow petal.

5. Place the petal in your thumb gently curl back the edges of the petals, creating a point at the tip. Insert a moisten 24g wire and leave to dry on a chocolate egg mold.

6. Dust the petals with orange dust, from the base to the middle to lessen the color tone at the tip.

 

 

 

7. To assemble the flower, tape the petals around the center using some half-width green floral tape.

 

 

 

 

Calyx

 

1. 8. Tint a ball of flower paste in a moss green color. Roll out the paste leaving a little mount in the center. Cut a calyx shape using the larger rose calyx cutter and then using the Celstick, elongate each of the sepals by rolling them against the board.

 

1. 8. Place the calyx on the Celpad and cup the center of each sepal.

       

   9. Moisten the center and thread the calyx onto the back of the rose.

       

   10. Make a small ball of green paste and flatten one side, moisten and attach onto the back of the calyx. Leave to dry.

 

1. 8. Dust slightly with moss green and burgundy dusts.

 

Leaves

 

 

1. 1. 13. The leaves grow in sets of three, five or seven. Cut out the leaves using three sizes; large, medium and small.

           

      14. Roll out thinly green paste leaving a ridge in the center length of the leaves.

           

      15. Press the leaf into a silicone rose veneer.

           

      16. Place onto the Celpad and soften the edges with the Jem balling tool.

           

      17. Moisten a piece of wire 24g and insert through the center vein. Twist the leave slightly with your fingers to give a more natural shape. Let dry.

           

      18. Slightly dust with moss green and burgundy dusts.

           

Assemble the leaves

 

 

 

19. Tape the leaves together, using green floral tape, starting with a large leaf and finishing with the smaller one.

 

Assemble the spray.

 

 

20. With green floral tape, attach the rose and the rosebud to each stem. Tape the leaves stem arranging so that the full rose is in the center.