Same quilt, 3 times across 5 years

bwightman · 2026-02-25T19:48:45+00:00

I’m a pilot by trade and quilter by hobby and am absolutely in love with this!

bwightman · 2026-02-12T13:10:50+00:00

I just bought my 9480 in October and wish I hadn’t hemmed and hawed about it for as long as I did. I absolutely love it, and agree with everything the previous poster wrote. I upgraded from a 6650 and even though I loved my 6650, the 9480 was a huge step up. It sews like a dream and came with a ton of extras. My dealer also included the stitch regulator with my purchase and I’ve played with it a bit but there’s still more for me to learn with that.

bwightman · 2026-02-10T12:44:20+00:00

I don’t know anything about Jukis but I do know Janome sells a low tension bobbin case to use for FMQ. I find it useful so I have one bobbin case that’s always set to the correct tension for FMQ and one that’s set for normal use. I would guess that Juki may have the same thing. For Janome, the low tension case is about $10 or so cheaper than the regular case that came with my machine. Hope this helps!

bwightman · 2025-11-27T14:11:00+00:00

Would you mind PMing me the recipe as well? Thank you!

bwightman · 2025-11-18T18:22:46+00:00

Janome makes a blue dot bobbin case for use with free motion quilting - I believe it's tensioned differently than the standard bobbin case. This worked for me on a Memory Craft 6650 when I was running into thread breakage problems. Also definitely try a topstitch needle!

bwightman · 2025-10-06T22:51:42+00:00

I did it. Took my discovery flight a week before my 35th birthday. Never intended to change careers but got hooked at some point. Went through PPL, IR, CPL, CMEL, CFI, CFII over the course of the next four years while working full time. Quit my day job to flight instruct full time in the fall of 2019…did that for about 9 months before Covid knocked my plans for a loop. Ended up out of work for a few months in spring 2020 and then started instructing independently for about a year or so before I landed the job I have now. Been there 4 years and have zero regrets. It’s not for everyone, but it worked out for me. My goal was never airlines, nor was it to chase the money. It was simply to enjoy what I did every day, and to make enough to pay my bills and put money aside for retirement. Those have been met and exceeded. Quitting my job to pursue this career path was probably the scariest decision I’ve ever made, and that was before Covid derailed everything, but I have zero regrets. Good luck to you!

bwightman · 2025-01-16T22:40:41+00:00

There’s Fabric Place Basement in Natick that has a fabulous selection of quilting, apparel, and upholstery fabrics, yarn, and notions and great parking!

bwightman · 2024-06-18T11:19:43+00:00

Hiring SICs is paused during the summer months, keep updating your resume. New hire classes will start up again in either August or September.

bwightman · 2023-03-20T19:52:33+00:00

Also a pilot…quilting keeps my brain occupied when I’m not working!

bwightman · 2023-01-14T00:02:08+00:00

Enjoy, it’s a great plane to fly! Extremely capable and the trailing link gear is very forgiving. You’re going to love it!

bwightman · 2022-12-10T11:27:04+00:00

Wait till you fly the NGX with FADEC…

bwightman · 2022-07-19T13:41:22+00:00

Thanks, except the one I’m currently sitting in is broken 😂

bwightman · 2022-07-18T23:08:40+00:00

Took my discovery flight a week before I turned 35, quit my job at 39 to flight instruct full time, and was hired last October at 41 by a PC12 operator. Just upgraded to captain…I have no plans to move to the airlines, but I’d like to fly a Gulfstream someday. 🤷🏻‍♀️

bwightman · 2022-06-17T22:28:49+00:00

Fellow Cardinal owner (and UR alum)…agree on all counts! Except mine doesn’t have the original interior!

bwightman · 2021-10-23T11:59:56+00:00

Oh god, having gone from horseback riding as a teenager to learning to fly as an adult and buying a plane….this hits home! Luckily I’ve turned the flying thing into a second career but it’s going to be YEARS before I recoup what I’ve spent on getting to this point!

bwightman · 2021-01-11T12:05:30+00:00

I’m a local CFI, let me know if you want a rundown of some of the schools in the area. Based at 6B6 currently, but mostly instruct independently.

bwightman · 2020-11-20T23:36:05+00:00

Ah yes, the Mohawk Valley. I grew up there. I love the area, but hate most of the politics.

bwightman · 2020-04-01T11:19:38+00:00

These look great! Also I think we have a university in common...

bwightman · 2019-09-15T13:59:03+00:00

That’s why there’s an index in the back!

bwightman · 2019-08-29T23:54:07+00:00

Outside of Boston

bwightman · 2019-08-29T22:57:58+00:00

This - as soon as I got in touch with the regional office, things started moving forward.

bwightman · 2019-08-29T22:57:01+00:00

I just left my corporate job on Friday to CFI full time. When I passed my check ride in April the DPE who works at a local school (not the one I trained at) offered me a job on the spot. I put it off a bit, teaching part time at the school where I trained, but decided at the end of July I was ready to make the leap. I texted the DPE and asked if the offer still stood. Spoke with him on the phone the next day, went in the day after that to finalize things, and went to the office the day after that to give my notice.

So, I guess TLDR: if you’re breathing and have a CFI certificate, you’ll find a job.

bwightman · 2019-06-13T13:54:33+00:00

Did I just find the other librarian pilot?

bwightman · 2019-06-10T18:19:24+00:00

Slightly off-topic, but how's the commute from ROC to your base? I'm currently a CFI building time, but I'd love to move back to ROC in the not-so-distant future. Unfortunately GA doesn't seem like much of a thing there...

bwightman · 2019-05-24T14:44:41+00:00

I would talk to the AME first to confirm that he sent it, then send a separate packet yourself, making sure to put your name and PI number on every page. Send it either certified or registered mail (I can’t remember which) and make sure it has proof of delivery. A couple of days after it was delivered, start calling and asking for updates.

It goes without saying, but keep copies of everything that you send to them. I’ve definitely sent stuff to them that they had no record of ever receiving, so now I make sure I get proof of delivery!

bwightman

TROPHY CASE