Christer is a priest, but he also works at the embroidery machine here with us. He explains what can be embroidered, what logo file you should have, and why heavy-duty textiles are his favourites.
You are a priest, but you also work with embroidery. How did you end up here?
It is a longer story, but I will try to keep it short. Becoming a priest is not like any other profession. It is a calling, and how that takes shape varies greatly depending on which church you belong to. I started studying theology in Tromsø in 2018. By then I had worked several years in the Armed Forces and seen how important the chaplaincy is there, and I felt called to contribute to that. To become a priest you first need a master's degree in theology, so I went back to school.
When I had finished my education, the path back to the Armed Forces had become somewhat more difficult, so that had to wait. I took a part-time position as a teacher at the Bible school and needed something else alongside it. That is where Jobb og fritid comes in. I am well at home in the mountains and more than averagely fond of gear and technical gadgets, so when the shop needed more staff, it was a perfect fit. I enjoy giving good service, and I like the products we sell.
Eventually I received a calling to a congregation, also part-time, so I carried on in the shop and still do. When we were going to start embroidering in-house rather than buying the service from other suppliers, I was offered training. The embroidery machine is definitely a technical gadget, so the choice was easy.
What does a typical working week look like when you have two such different jobs?
It is quite varied. I work some shifts in the shop, spend some days at the Bedriftssenter, and some Sundays I hold a church service. It is not unusual for me to have a working day in the shop, come home and have dinner with the family, and once the kids are in bed, sit down and prepare the Sunday service. That means choosing hymns and writing the sermon.
It is also one of the reasons I enjoy embroidering. The machine makes so much noise that ear defenders are a good idea, and that gives me time to listen to podcasts that can contribute to Sunday's sermon. Jobb og fritid has also turned out to be a very flexible workplace. I can take on more shifts when things are quiet at the church, and arrange time off when needed.
Who can order embroidery from you, and which businesses use it the most?
We have everyone from student associations to large corporations as customers, so everyone is welcome. What I have noticed most is medium-sized local businesses ordering corporate gifts or uniforms in quantities of 10 to 100. There is a small cost to get started, since we have to convert the logo into what is called an embroidery file – a file that tells the machine where every stitch goes. That is why it is rarely worth embroidering just one item, but we have no minimum order, and the garments do not have to be the same. Several companies, for example, order two shirts, a waistcoat and a jacket all in one go.
What can be embroidered, and can customers bring their own garments?
Anything can be embroidered, as long as I can secure it in the machine. It works best on flat pieces of fabric where I can easily reach the back, since I have to stitch all the way through. Down jackets are not impossible, but can be less suitable for a logo right where the down is. I have not come across anything that cannot be embroidered yet. A couple of the thinnest fabrics need to be reinforced slightly where we embroider, but we can sort that out as well.
You are welcome to bring your own garments, as long as they are clean. If you are unsure, just come in and we will take a look at what we can do.
What should you bear in mind regarding the logo?
A vector file is best. It is a file format that does not consist of pixels the way an image does, but of lines, so it can be scaled up without any loss of quality. Please supply the logo as an .svg or .pdf if possible. If you do not have it in vector format, we can work from other formats, but it takes a little more time.
An embroidered logo is not an image, and there is a clear difference. Smooth gradients between colours are not possible, and there is a lower limit to how fine the details can be. If the customer wishes, we adapt the logo so that it works well in the embroidered format. We have a rich selection of thread colours, so if you have specific colours the logo should match, come in and we will do our best. Individual names on each garment are also fine, as long as the font is suitable for embroidery.
What do you enjoy most about embroidering for business customers, and why embroidery rather than print?
I have a soft spot for heavy-duty textiles such as wool, fleece, corduroy and canvas. They are very well suited to embroidery, and on many of them print would not hold well either. It works fine on smooth textiles too, but the heavier ones are best. You can get a thick, warm fleece with the logo of an outdoor company, or a hard-wearing Carhartt jacket with an almost equally hard-wearing logo.
Embroidery also gives a slightly different look to print. It has a slight 3D effect, so the logo stands out more than a flat print does. Personally, I find it really satisfying when we manage to match the visual identity of the company.
What do you do when you are not at work?
I am usually outdoors, especially when the weather is good. I enjoy being in the mountains, and a mountain cabin is never to be turned down. I particularly enjoy touring on cross-country skis or telemark skiing down a gentle mountain slope – just steep enough to get a good speed going, but not avalanche-prone, and preferably above the treeline. A local favourite is Fagerfjellet, with plenty of vertical metres, open terrain and room for long, wide turns. From the top you get the finest view towards Hamperokken. A cup of coffee up there – that is the good life.
Thanks for the chat, Christer! We are glad to have you on the team and look forward to seeing which logos end up in the embroidery machine going forward.
