The patterned moulds are referred to variously as moulds, irons and patterns. They all tend to be quite decorative.
They are used to make Rosettes with.
You can buy the rod and handle, and then buy the choice of patterns you want, or, you can buy kits which include the handle plus several patterns, usually one of which is a shell mould called a “timbale mould.”
Typical pattern shapes include a butterfly, a heart, a flower, and one which is circular and has what looks like a Celtic cross in it.
For Christmas, shapes include stars, bells, trees, Santas, angels, and snowflakes. For Easter, shapes such as Bunny, Egg, Rabbit; for Halloween, pumpkins, bats and spiders.
The moulds are generally made from cast aluminum alloy.
The timbale moulds, sometimes called a “patty shell mould”, come with sides that have either plain or fluted sides. Their shape varies from round to square to seashell or fish shaped.
The rods tend to be about 7 inches (18 cm) long, with a 4 inch (10 cm) handle attached.
Some Rosette Irons have twin rods on them coming out from the handle, to which you can attach two irons, so you can make two rosettes at a time. If you don’t feel up to handling two at a time at first, you can always just unscrew the mould from one of the rods, and just use the single mould on the other one.