Thank you volunteers, shoppers & supporters!
A heartfelt thank you to everyone who showed up and shopped at last week’s sale of yarn from the estate of Madeline Shinbach. WGM raised more than $7,000 in a few short hours, in addition to previous sales of books, equipment, tools, and woolen yarns through the WGM store and classifieds. The sale was the culmination of WGM’s effort to share Madeline’s estate with our members. All proceeds benefited WGM, thanks to the generosity of her family.
Madeline was a passionate weaver who was deeply appreciative of the WGM community and the resources the guild offers to weavers. As her husband remarked, “She felt a real kinship to the guild and I’m happy to know [her stash] is appreciated.”
Without the work of our volunteers, this sale would not have been such a success. Thank you, Volunteers: Sorting and pricing: Roberta Zeug Shell, Janet Johnson, Connie LaTendresse, Lynne Schneider, Donna Hanson, Marty Willett, Geri Retzlaff, Wynne Mattila; Sale prep: Ann Masemore + family, Gayle Groebner; Estate prep & sorting: Louise French, Judy Bratt, Paula Pfaff.
A big hug to super volunteer and friend of Madeline, Paula Pfaff, who coordinated our sale efforts, worked with the Shinbach family, and ensured the success of the sale with her enthusiasm and appreciation of fine yarn. It was an incredible gift to honor Madeline’s memory in this way. As one shopper remarked, “I’m glad that her stash is going to someone else to use and be inspired by: It’s what Madeline would have wanted.”
ABOUT:
This yarn has been generously donated to WGM from the estate of Madeline Shinbach. An engineer by trade–having worked at 3M–and the owner of many patents, Madeline explored weaving with an intensity few could match. She started weaving after a visit to WGM, where she saw students working on floor looms, and said, “Okay, I HAVE to do that.”
In her explorations, Madeline took the full litany of classes, chaired and participated in Fiber Fair, volunteered in the library, priced donated books, sold her own handmade items at events, and assisted in guild classes. As one of our members remarked, “Madeline managed to learn in a few short years what took many of us a decade.”
An excellent seamstress and quilter as well as a passionate weaver, Madeline’s stash included supplies for a number of fiber arts, along with a nice collection of books, fabrics, magazines, patterns, notions, shuttles, weaving tools, and weaving yarns. Most of her weaving collection has been sold through WGM since she passed in late 2020, including her Megado loom and her collection of woolen yarns, equipment, tools and books. A few items are still available on the WGM classifieds.
The bulk of Madeline’s yarn stash was cottons of all sizes on tubes and cones: beautiful, new and clean, which is the focus of this event. The sale culminates the efforts of WGM’s donation volunteers to share her estate with our members. Sales benefit WGM, thanks to the generosity of her estate.