Odds and ends for a good cause
A friend in need is a friend indeed. Friends of Mix for Kids certainly prove this old saying to be true, and the charity is keen to show its appreciation with small gifts for those who donate to children in need or members celebrating a milestone birthday. These tokens include denim key rings, felt coasters and bookmarks and, most recently, small potholders made from heatproof fleece.
Andrea Bitti is the creative mind behind all these lovingly handmade items. But donations or membership fees are never used to pay for the gifts, as Bitti kindly sews them free of charge for Mix for Kids in her creative workshop. This way, one hundred percent of the charity’s income goes directly to its aid projects, meaning every cent reaches children and teenagers in need.
“Mix for Kids is a real labor of love for me. It’s not work, but a chance to relax and escape,” explains Andrea Bitti. The organization is close to her heart for more reason than one, but not least because her daughter is autistic and needs care. “That’s why I think it’s very special that Mix for Kids gives neurodivergent children in Albania the chance to receive individual support.”
Andrea Bitti, who also places high value on sustainability, dedicated two days to making 50 potholders using scraps of fabric in ten different patterns. After all, “there are no leftovers, only new projects,” she says with a twinkle in her eye as she explains how the project does good for people and the planet.
Bitti works full time making all kinds of useful and beautiful pieces in her creative workshop in Nümbrecht near Cologne. A hotel manager by training, she started her own business back in 2020 after whipping up clothes, cases, covers and bags by hand or with the sewing machine, which she then decorated using an embroidery machine.
Meanwhile, Bitti has since specialized in creating protective covers for food processors and the like as well as special pillows to protect piercings. The latter have become a bestseller over the past two years. The pillows have a hole in the middle to help new piercings heal by avoiding pressure points and inflammation. Orders come in over the internet from all around the world, including Singapore, the US and even as far away as Australia. Bitti is proud to report that she “discovered a gap in the market with the cushion. But it’s still a pleasure to make time for Mix for Kids.”