RIP My Maytag

Here I sit, waiting for the washing machine repairman- for the FIRST time in my life!
How can it be that I, approaching middle age at what is alarmingly become warp speed, can possibly have avoided that scenerio for so long?
For the past 26 years or so, I have had the same  one cycle Maytag.  Purchased second hand even(!) it has seen us through 5 cloth diapered children, countless pee soaked sheets, muddy country kids having fun clothes, and barn coveralls.  It even spent one summer performing out on the deck while we renovated the laundry room.  Yes, it has needed repairs, but they were always done be My Mike or myself.  Let’s face it- there’s not too many parts to break on a “vintage” washing machine.
Fast forward to last weekend.  Our new barn, and it’s accompanying office/laundry shower room needs a washing machine.  Seeing as it would be silly for me to have an old machine in the house and a brand spanking new one in the barn, (you all need to nod your heads in total agreement here) I dragged my mother out to look at new ones.

(Trust  me- this is excitement in our household!)
I had pretty well decided on an LG.  Not the biggest one- those “two or three sets of sheets a night” are well behind us thank you very much- but a middle of the road size 3.5 cubic feet I think.  Comparison shopper pro’s that we are, mom and I managed to get a really good deal on exactly what we wanted.  Honestly it was – lowest  price, whoops, 10 percent off that, no taxes, and oh look, a mother and daughter shopping together- lets knock another 15% off! Well kinda, sorta..
 
Saturday night Mike and I decided to install it.  No biggie- hook up and go.
Like new parents watching their baby sleep, we threw a towel in to see what would happen. 
“Filling up pretty high”
“I thought these things had load size sensors”
“Oh yes, there it goes”
then
“Umm..Connie?”
“Yes?”
“there is water pouring out the door by your feet….!”

Shoot!

Well, what I said was more like something that would make a sailor blush, but this is family reading material.  My girls could probably tell you what some of the words that came out of my mouth mean!
I had to run to read the manual while Mike sat by the machine and sealed the door with his feet.  We managed to drain the machine and set it to spin the towel out. 
“It’s supposed to spin it so much that it is almost dry.  That’s what everyone says about these things.”
“the spin cycle is supposed to be so fast that maybe we will need some extra joists put in, honey.”
“gee and I read that it will gather up the dirty laundry, wash it, hang it on the line, fold it andddd put it away” 
I don’t think my machine read the manual, because half an hour later, it was was still spinning at the same rate as our bread machine does in the first part of its cycle!
15 minutes later I had made my first ever washing machine repairperson appointment. 
At least now I know why the Maytag repairman was always so lonely!
So, now I am waiting…..     …..   ….

Answering a question…
Sarah had a question regarding how I did the “stiffening” in the lining.
Sarah, the lining has, from the flare down, three layers.  I made a pattern of that- it looked like a modified trapiziod.  Then I cut out a piece of really stiff netting and another piece of lining fabric from that pattern.  I sewed those two pieces together and did a hong kong finish on the top edge.  Basically a bias finish.  Then I layered that piece on the to lining and sewed them together as if I was underlining.  I hong kong finished the side seams there too as I didn’t want to have any netting visible.  It was very stiff to work with, but I was pleased with the outcome.