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BooksFabric Effects in Sugar

First Steps and Basic Skills

Fabric Effects in SugarFirst Steps and Basic Skills

by Gary Chapman

How to create a range of basic fabric effects in sugar, including drapes, hangings or tails, bows, borders and flowers

Fabric Effects in Sugar Book One introduced the idea of emulating fabric effects in sugar when it was first published in 1993 and started a huge trend in cake decorating that continues unabated today. This landmark book in cake decorating has been out of print for many years and I am pleased to be able to re-publish this revised edition for a new audience to enjoy.

Learn how to produce a range of basic fabric effects such as the drape, hangings or tails, bows, rosettes, ribbon cockade, borders and several varieties of flowers and leaves, including a fabric effect rose..

All of these effects provide a simple and quick alternative to the usual methods of cake decorating and yet at the same time produce a stylish and attractive finish. The ideas in the book can be adapted and used in conjunction with all other cake decorating techniques.

• Ten distinctive and colourful cakes.• Black and white diagrams.• Step by step instructions.• Useful section on how to paint cakes.• Further books on Fabric Effects in Sugar and other new ideas are forthcoming.

Fabric Effects in SugarFirst Steps and Basic Skills

by Gary Chapmanout now

£7.99 paperback / ISBN 978-1-909230-00-2(listed on Amazon marketplace)

£6.99 e-book (Epub / Apple ) / ISBN 978-1-909230-01-9£6.99 / e-book (Mobi / Kindle) / ISBN 978-1-909230-02-06

Signed copies can be obtained from Gary Chapman, please email for details and a quote for shipping,

all payments by cheque or paypal.info@garychapmancakes.com

Introduction to the bookFabric Effects in Sugar: First Steps and Basic Skills aims to provide an introduction to the use of sugarpaste (rolled fondant) as fabric to decorate cakes with effects such as the drape, hangings or tails, hinges (rosettes, bows, ribbon cockades) and a variety of fabric flowers, leaves and borders. These ideas present a different and totally new approach to decorating cakes. Since I first introduced them in the early 90s, they have gradually been adopted and are now used extensively.

The various fabric effects described here provide a simple and quick alternative to the usual methods of cake decorating and yet at the same time produce a stylish and attractive finish. I have also developed several varieties of fabric flower offering a quick alternative to the creation of the wonderful, yet elaborate and often time-consuming arrangements of sugar flowers that we have become so accustomed to making.

Fabric effects can be used in many different ways and for every conceivable type of celebration cake. They can be the sole means to decorate a cake or successfully combined with various other cake decorating techniques. There is also no need to use any non-edible products such as real ribbons, wires or stamens. My ideas come from a variety of sources. Since I am adapting and recreating real fabric effects, I gain enormous inspiration from observing real curtain and drape effects, but also objets such as hats and fashion creations. I am influenced by everything around me and I always carry a sketchbook to jot down ideas and shapes. However, all ideas must be adapted and altered to suit the medium of sugar and at the end of the day, it is imagination and the fun of experimentation that counts.

I do hope that you will be able to share my delight at creating fabric effects and the great opportunities for cake decorating that these simple techniques can offer. Enjoy!

Contents of the bookIntroductionHints and TipsDiagrams

The cakes, techniques and fabric effects

Simple Pink Draped CakeShowing:

the drapesimple bowpleated border

Orange, Red Ribbon and Bow CakeShowing :

ribbonsribbon borderribbon hangingsthe simple bow

Pink and Grey CakeShowing

the fabric rose olled mini-drape

Golden Domed CakeShowing :

horizontal layersfour sided triple bowrose buds

Green and Yellow Rosette CakeShowing :the rosettemini-roll and tube border single hanging or tail

Violet and Mustard Square CakeShowing :

concave and convex flowerslayered corner hangingspleated border

Peach Ribbon Cockade CakeShowing :

ribbon cockadesimple double hangingpetal border

Blue Domed CakeShowing :

the skirt mini-roll and drape

Blue and Green Floral Cascade CakeShowing :

multi-looped ribbon bowthe lilyrolled flowers

Red and Green CakeShowing :

elaborate double hanging or tailfabric effect leaves

The DiagramsDiagram One: TheDrapeDiagram Two: Simple BowDiagram Three: the Pleated BorderDiagram Four: Ribbon BorderDiagram Five: the Fabric RoseDiagram Six: Convex and Convex Flower PetalDiagram Seven: the Rose BudsDiagram Eight: the LeafDiagram Nine: Single Hanging or TailDiagram Ten: Simple Double Hanging or TailDiagram Eleven: Elaborate Double Hanging or TailDiagram Twelve: The Mini-Roll and Tube Border

Painting cakes

Gary Chapman

Gary Chapman has worked in book publishing for most of his professional life. However, he first developed an interest in sugarcraft in the early 1990s when he joined Merehurst Publishing Company as Marketing Director. Merehurst at the time, had built up a worldwide reputation as the leading publisher of cake decorating books. Gary helped launched the company in the USA at the ICES Shows and raised the profile of many leading decorators. When he was young he was very artistic and found he rather enjoyed modeling in clay and painting and drawing. Sugarcraft offered him a new artistic expression.

Invigorated by this exciting edible art medium he set up Iced Delights in the early 1990s, invented the new technique of fabric effects in sugar, published his own book Fabric Effects in Sugar and gave demonstrations and classes all over the UK and the USA. He also pioneered the use of home decorating painting techniques for cake decorating such as ragging, sponging and stippling. At first his unique style did not go down too well. Cakes were dainty, with pastel colour schemes and botanically correct miniature flowers. Gary was brash, bold and wanted to do something new and different and make a mark. Needless to say, over the years his creative innovations such as his use of colour, recreating fabric out of sugar, painting techniques and fantasy flowers have influenced many people and his ideas have become part of mainstream cake decorating skills.

His passion for the Jazz Age of the 1920s has given him a unique source of inspiration. He has an extensive collection of costume designs and illustrations from the period that offer valuable ideas and colour schemes. He has also been continually inspired by modern couture and millinery. He also found further inspiration from books that taught the art of ribbon flower making, ironically enough, a trend which reached a peak in the 1920s.

Later, he launched and was Editor for the first ever mass-market cake decorating magazine. He also produced Iced and Easy, a cake book for the big UK newsagent chain of W.H. Smith, and provided display pieces for exhibitions of edible art called ‘A Taste of Art’.

After another period in publishing he reformed Iced Delights in 1999 and became one of the top 10 wedding cake makers in London. More recently, he left London for a quieter life in Stroud and the Cotswolds and is fortunate in being able to follow his various passions : publishing, writing, the Jazz Age and cake decorating.

Recently he has been teaching for Knightsbridge-PME and has been one of their judges for their live competitions at the cake shows at the NEC, Birmingham and Excel, London. He intends to focus more on teaching and publishing new cake books.

His website dedicated to the Jazz Age is at www.jazzageclub.com, his new publishing venture Edditt Publishing is at www.eddittpublishing.com and his cake website is at www.garychapmancakes.com. He also has Facebook pages for Gary Chapman Cakes and the Jazz Age Club.

Gary is available to teach classes and to give demonstrations worldwide. Although his passion is fabric effects he can turn his hand to most things.

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