The Mix for Kids association was once again treated to a wonderful surprise when it received a package filled with 100 fragrant hanging lavender sachets. The kind sender? Andrea Bitti, the owner of the Creative Workshop for All Things Useful and Beautiful in Nümbrecht, Germany, who year after year makes and sends small sewing projects free of charge for Mix for Kids.

The sweet-smelling gifts will be given away as a thank-you for donations to children in need or sent to association members celebrating milestone birthdays. It takes Andrea Bitti around two days of her time to craft the homemade gifts for Mix for Kids, time she asks nothing for in return and is more than happy to invest for the good of the association. Indeed she knows that every euro donated to Mix for Kids goes to helping children in need and children with disabilities.

Stitched from the heart

As a mother of a daughter with Down syndrome on the autism spectrum, Bitti is proud of her work supporting the Mix for Kids association. The crafter also puts cotton scraps to good use to create new items in the spirit of sustainability: “I don’t throw away anything that can be reused.” In recent years, she has made key fobs featuring the Mix for Kids logo as well as pot holders, for example. Her latest creative project is the sachets of lavender flowers.

Personalized with personal stories

Once a hotel manager from Lower Bavaria, the resourceful Bitti taught herself to sew and tailor. What started out as her sewing and tailoring clothes for her daughter soon blossomed into a fully-fledged business realizing her customers’ – and her own – wishes.

In particularly high demand are personalized items, including individually embroidered or printed bags, bathrobes or blankets. She even makes blankets with family trees. “There are often highly personal stories brimming with emotion behind my personalized products; I’ve seen my fair share of tears in my workshop,” adds Andrea Bitti.

To this day, encouraging and supporting others with her work and spreading real joy remains the most rewarding part of her craft – and Mix for Kids couldn’t be more grateful!