About Vendulka
Vendulka Battais is an award winning textile artist, tutor and half of the couple running textile studio OliVen in the heart of Suffolk.
Vendulka started her creative journey making clothes from remnants with her mum in the Czech Republic. She learned simple patchwork when she moved to the UK and was looking for a new hobby. From squares and triangles, Vendulka’s work evolved into quilting, embroidery, and circular patterns inspired by mandalas and dreamcatchers.
It was this growing passion which led her to start her own patchwork and quilting shop with her partner, Olivier, on the Isle of Wight in 2011. It’s called OliVen. In 2015, they moved family and shop to the village of Monks Eleigh in Suffolk.
Vendulka loves to make patchwork quilts, teach patchwork in the shop, travel to teach groups and demonstrate at shows.
Somehow she found the time to publish a wonderful book, Cathedral Windows – New Views, and win the Best in Show Award at Festival of Quilts 2021. This is what the judges had to say about the work: “a wonderful collaboration of design and workmanship. We loved the variety of feathers and their balance of glorious colour. A masterclass in the stitching of an intricate Mandala, together with precise use of the glitter liner medium.”
Signature Technique
Bringing embroidery into quilting
Top Tips
- Glittery and metallic paint on fabric brings a project to life – especially in the dark!
- Create an enhanced 3D effect on Cathedral windows with folded patchwork, padding, and a new colour twist.
- Combine different elements such as machine quilting and hand embroidery. It’s a joy to work on and the result is stunning.
Videos
Patterns
Posts
Kimono by Makower
This is a vibrant range of Japanese inspired fabrics printed with metallic gold detailing on a cream and dramatic black background. Valerie has used the range of 10" squares as they are - no additional cutting required - and then created this interesting (but simple) sashing from strips of black and gold with gold squares acting as cornerstones.
If you like the sashing, then Valerie used in in her Modern Pieced Hearts quilt, so you can find the workshop notes there.
Little Sweethearts from Makower
This delightful range of fabrics comes in pink (and blue) and is printed in soft tones of reds, pinks and creams with pretty floral designs, perfect for quilts and handmade projects for the home. Another super collection from Edyta Sitar of Laundry Basket Quilts - and the accompanying pattern called Dear One - is available as a free download from the Makower project page.
The Good Life from Makower
This delightful range of fabrics has been inspired by the garden and vegetable patch, which seem fit to burst with prize specimens, while chickens roam freely on the luscioius grass. Fruit trees are laden and golden sunflowers flourish in the breeze..... Valerie has combined simple large rectangles of the prints (some of which need to be the right way up!) with simple green and white check (also from Makower) plus a border from her stash.