Skip to content

Grandkids inspire Serendipity Doll Fashions

Retirement means different things to different people. Some might take the time to go fishing, others might travel.
Serendipity Doll Fashions
Dolls had the chance for a new look at the Yorkton Farm and Collectible Toy Show. Pat Viczko, Fauntie Phillips and Monika Schindel are Serendipity, making high quality doll clothes for 18 inch dolls.

Retirement means different things to different people. Some might take the time to go fishing, others might travel. For the women behind Serendipity doll fashions, retirement means sewing, as Fauntie Phillips, Monika Schindel and Pat Viczko have dived headfirst into making custom doll clothes.

The business began with grandchildren, explains Phillips. After her granddaughters received American Girl dolls for Christmas, she sewed some clothes for them. After all three women sewed clothing for kids, the quality of their work got noticed, and they started to travel to local shows.

“We love sewing, this is not work for us, this is fun... We meet every Wednesday and it’s like show and tell.”

They take their inspiration from children’s clothes themselves, and often make clothing for the dolls with used kids clothing itself.

The clothing is made to be handled, Phillips says, and they watch kids closely to see what they might be having difficulty with and alter patterns accordingly.

That also comes down to the amount of care and detail they put into the garments themselves, they need to be durable, and handled by 8-10 year olds who are not known to be gentle with their toys. Phillips says they want to have higher quality than clothes made through some of the mail order services.

“We sew as though it would be a garment for us.”

When it comes to the Yorkton Farm Toy and Collectible Show, Phillips admits they are a bit of counter-programming, something different from the trucks and tractors that make up the majority of the displays.

“A boy gets a tractor, and his little sister gets something of comparable value from us.”

While the granddaughters were the inspiration for the business and earliest product testers, Phillips says, “Now they’re some of our best customers. Our granddaughters earn allowance so they can buy doll clothes. It works for me!”

Serendipity now goes to different craft and toy shows in the area, and maintains a Facebook presence at Serendipity Doll Fashions. Phillips says it has been retirement entertainment for them.

“Nobody told us what retirement was going to be, and we decided it wasn’t going to be reading a book.”

It was going to be sitting down at a sewing machine.