When Linda Binder was growing up in Bowmansville, she learned to play the piano and the organ, and around the age of 11, she learned to sew in 4-H. Her musical talents led Linda to become the organist at Trinity Lutheran Church in New Holland for more than 40 years. The latter talent also led briefly to a job in a sewing factory, which inspired Linda to go to cosmetology school and open Studio 1 Hair and Skin Care Center in New Holland, a shop she ran for more than 30 years.

In 2017, Linda closed her shop and took an extended motor home trip with her husband, Tom. When she returned to her home in Ephrata, she was interested in exploring a new challenge. Linda was looking for a simple cotton skirt, and she could not find what she wanted. Although she had not touched a sewing machine in 30 years, she decided to make the skirt. She purchased a new Swiss-engineered sewing machine she nicknamed Nina. "I started with clothing because that's what I knew," recalled Linda.

When a neighbor girl wanted a doll, Linda made her one based on a pattern, but then she decided to get a little creative. Linda changed up the design, adding "long, funky" legs. Eventually, she added joints to the legs so the colorful creatures could sit up and hang from shelves. She called them Whimzes, and the dolls were the impetus for a new business, which now includes divided cloth baskets, microwave bowl holders, reversible placemats, aprons, a line of tote bags, zip-top pouches, wallets, pillows with matching throws, ponchos, and soft hassock-like items called poofs. "The throws are made of the softest, heaviest fleece available," said Linda.

Choosing colorful fabrics in a variety of textures is one of the delights in making different items, according to Linda. "That's part of the fun of it," she said, adding, "Everything I do is unique." Linda sells her creations in a few locations, including Lorah's Handmade Chocolates in Brickerville, the Artful Nest in Marietta, and Junk to Jazz in Reading, as well as at craft fairs. She has also created a Facebook page that can be found by searching for "WhimzeGal."

Linda has now made hundreds of Whimzes, along with all the other one-of-a-kind items she makes in her home workshop. On her Facebook page, she shows some of her new items and tells the stories of how she came to create them. She gives credit to Tom for his love and help. "It's because of support from him that I can do this," she said.