Also known as the pincushion flower, the blooms of Scabiosa, commonly called scabious, really do resemble the rounded shape of a cushion with pin-like stamens. These are stunning flowers that stand out in any arrangement.
1. Pipe a guide circle, then with blue-violet buttercream in your piping bag, position the nozzle at a 20 to 30 degree angle with the wide end touching the circle.
2. Pipe a row of ruffle petals (see Basic Petal Strokes) following the guide circle.
3. Repeat the same process and pipe two or three more layers of petals at an increasingly acute angle, each one close to the previous layer.
4. Use a cocktail stick (toothpick) and touch the edges of the petals randomly to give a more natural rough-edged look.
5. Pipe a mound of pale brown buttercream in the centre of the flower.
6. Using a piping bag with a small hole at the tip, pipe small dots in pale brown to cover the mound and short spikes around the edge of the centre.