AI'm left-handed so when I do borders e.g. a shell border the direction of the border is in the opposite direction to how it normally looks, it looks 'wrong' which it can't be because there is no right or wrong but should I embrace my left-handedness and continue to do it 'wrong' or should I try and learn to do it in the opposite direction, the 'right' way?

AI don't see anything "wrong" wish it. On the rare occasion I notice it on a cake I just think that it was done by a leftie. I doubt any non baker would notice it at all.

AThanks denetteb, because I always notice it and it always distracts my attention from the cake but then again thats just me

I am a lefty.   We do go the opposite direction as right handed decorators...but it doesn't make it "wrong"...and believe me...the cake civilian has no clue.   Only other decorators know we are left handed.   The crazy thing for me is I write & decorate left handed...but ice right handed....go figure! 

AI am a lefty too! I never thought my shell borders look wrong, just different. And that suits me just fine! I say embrace every little thing that sets you apart from the crowd! :D

AOMG!! While at an interview a few days ago, I was asked to decorate a bday cake that had a shell border. I didn't realize till this thread that my piping might be backwards. I thought the cake looked pretty good besides the fact that I'm not good at writing... Got too use to fondant cakes.. But maybe my backwards piping is why I was not offered the job. :(

"backwards"? Is that a thing?  I often do the top border in one direction and the bottom border in the other.... I really don't think it matters (righty)

I am actually right-handed but I do lots of my borders in reverse  directions.  Like someone else said - the top in one direction and the bottom in the opposite direction.  Or change up the directions on each tier of a large cake.  I just think it adds more interest.  And, oh, no one has ever said anything about it.  So I guess it is all good.

Just do your best and I'm sure that it will be greatly appreciated.

I'm a pretty ambidextrous lefty--I do a lot of things using my right hand: bowling, cut with scissors, ice my cakes, brush my hair & teeth, open doors.  I even wear my watch on my left arm.  But, I write & do all of my piping with my left hand. 

My borders aren't "wrong", they're just done by a left-handed decorator.  I actually have fun looking at cakes and being able to tell which ones are done by lefties or righties by looking at borders.

I wouldn't change how I do it and if anyone ever had the nerve to tell me that what I'm doing is "wrong", they'd be very sorry.

AI'm left handed. My right hand is there purely for symmetry. It's almost useless sometimes! I worked with a righty, and we had a big cupcake tower to make. One where they are stuck sideways to the styrofoam dummy with skewers. I iced half the cupcakes with a basic swirl, she iced the other half. Almost all the way through icing, she said our swirls would be opposite. I said who cares? Nobody will notice. She delivered the cake, and it looked good. The different directions of swirls added a little interest. Nobody noticed but us. Yeah, I can tell when a lefty has worked on a cake, but most people won't. Embrace your uniqueness! :-D

AThanks everyone, I will embrace my lefty style of decorating, I assumed everyone would notice because I do but I guess non-bakers/decorators wouldn't see it so clearly or obviously

Thanks again, Rhian :D

I am so left handed it isn't funny!  I had a really good instructor, though, who helped me and she also mentioned that no one would ever notice but me, and she was right.

I am left handed.  One time a good friend and an experienced decorator for many years asked me one day if I was left handed.  She had just noticed that my shells were backwards.  lol  Today, 23 years later, they are still backwards. 

When I took my first classes I never did learn how to make a buttercream rose.  After the classes were over I was talking to one of the instructors and told them I never learned how to make the rose.  Then the lights came on.  She was teaching how to make the rose right handed and I was trying left handed.

I also am a lefty:)   Please everyone.........THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH US!!     (LOL)   To all of you lefties out there just remember, the average customer is not going to notice nor put up a fuss:)  In the 25+ yrs of my decorating I never had one person mention anything about it -- just a person interviewing me to teach for Wilton.     Once I was hired I went to classes forcing myself to learn to decorate right-handed so I could teach better.   Even though I did learn some I never did change - still kept on w/the left hand :)   The lesson only gave me insite into how to better help a student. 

How on earth could left handed decorating be considered wrong or backwards?  Is it less beautiful?  I am primarily right handed, but I do just about everything (except write) with my left hand, as well.  It is just a lot easier to use both hands when you are, say, cutting hair or decorating a cake.  It is hard to reach certain areas with one hand, but really easy with the other.  When I was a child, I decided it was stupid to have a hand that was not functional, so I taught it to function.  Besides, I had two left handed sisters, ha!