Time and motion

Petal shaping in progress.. the ‘egg iron’ at the front is heated up on an electric hot plate. The stiffened silk petal is then placed on a spongy surface, I use one of the wheat hot water bottles, and the egg iron is pressed into the centre of the petal to create the curved shape.
The egg iron was picked up at an antique fair, and has been much admired by fellow milliners when I posted a picture on my Millinery Instagram earlier today.

Extra shows my workbench with about 200 petals to shape

Somewhat belatedly I have started timing how long it takes me to accomplish individual elements of hat making.
I think I need to make flowers with fewer petals! Or charge more (says M)