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
Life Can Be Like a Quilt
One lady in our community, Em Bayly from Florida has asked us to share her story with you. A few years ago I made my first queen-sized quilt to give to my son on his 50th birthday. He had just gotten out of the hospital following a difficult time in his life. I composed the following comments on a scratch pad to use on his card attached to the quilt.
20 July 2018
New Videos Every Friday Navajo Blanket Quilt - [...]
Scandi by Makower
This lovely Christmas range, designed by Makower, lends itself beautifully to be made up into Christmas Table Mats, and Valerie has taken a pack of preprinted Quilt-as-you-go placements designed by June Tailor to make an early start. (click through to the shop to buy some for yourself!) These fabrics should be in your quilt shops now and there is also a delightful quilt designed by Lynne Goldsworthy, which is a free download from the Makower website - if you feel like making something bigger and more exotic.