Unique Bears
Each one of Kit's Bears is different, and is designed and made entirely by her. She is a freestyle designer, and does not keep the patterns. She designed a ball which when opened up turns into a Bear, and although many more people wanted them, only 17 were made. Varying her work maintains her enthusiasm.
Sharing Ideas
Kit's philosophy is that Teddy Bear making is fun and a very satisfying hobby. She enjoys sharing ideas and helping new bear-makers. Most Teddy makers and collectors seem to be very relaxed and happy people and make wonderful friends.
Innovative
She really enjoys experimenting, and specialises in Bears with up to nine joints (including wrists and ankles). She sometimes uses Australian Nod/No mechanisms and has also adapted them to allow a Teddy to open its mouth instead of nodding. She has adapted a tilt growler, making it a press growler so that the Teddy could open his mouth and growl at the same time! The Bears with heads that move to the music are also very popular.
Best Quality Materials
Concentrating on collector Bears, she uses only the best available materials the highest quality German mohair, Austrian hand-made crystal glass eyes, Swiss musical boxes, and semi-teflonised polyester stuffing, with leather, suede or all-wool felt pads and German growlers. The noses are embroidered. The joints are hardboard with nylox nuts. Nothing is too good for her Bears. All Bears made are registered with their own number, and Kit keeps a full description of the Bear for identification purposes.
Joy
Kit makes Teddy Bears for the sheer joy of it, and revels in the use of the best available materials. She likes as many Bears as possible to have either a growler or a musical movement. The more elaborate ones have both!
Traditional
Most of the Bears are entirely hand-sewn; some have heads that rotate engagingly sideways, up, round and down to music. So far she has confined herself almost entirely to the making of traditional style mohair Bears, and sizes range from 4" to 26" (10cm to 66cm).
Kit's nine-jointed Bears have rotating wrists and ankles. This enables them to hold their ears, cover their eyes, or hold a cellphone (should they wish to order "take-aways").
Awards and Recognition
Kit has won numerous prizes at the annual Buitenverwachting Bear Fair in Cape Town and the Bathurst Show, where she has twice received the award "Best Article in Handcrafts".
In 2000, four of Kit's bears featured in Marc Hoberman's photographic book Teddy Bears (The Gerald & Marc Hoberman Collection). One of Kit's designs is featured in the best-selling book "How to Make Award-Winning Teddy Bears" ISBN: 0875886485.
The December 2002 issue of Teddy Bear Times contains an article by Kit Mills about her voluntary work teaching bearmaking to HIV/Aids patients at The Raphael Centre in Grahamstown. She teaches bear-making to HIV/Aids patients, who sell their bears to feed and clothe their families.
EastCape Bears
From 1990 to 1999, Kit marketed her Bears under the name of Elizabears, EC, and since then under the name of EastCape Bears.
Kit's very good friend, Yvonne Briscoe, presently residing in the United Kingdom, also markets her bears under the name EastCape Bears. (Both artists come from the Eastern Cape, South Africa). Their swing tags bear their own names and the logo pictures are of their own Bears. Yvonne is an excellent needlewoman, and her Bears are made with loving care.
