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
Love of Oakshott Ruby Red’s
Valerie made this quilt as a gift for friends, with two Ruby Red charm packs from Oakshott and a co-ordinate for the background. The inspiration for the quilt was the modern charm workshop -which you can see by clicking here.
Corinium Museum, Cirencester,, Glos
This is where we are today filming; what you may ask? well a great exhibition from the textile artists E.A.S.T. “Between the Lines” is the title of the latest exhibition by E.A.S.T., East Anglian Stitch Textiles. The exhibition is based on the groups’ response to the centenary of the First World War and will run here at the museum until 19th April if you want to visit in person; Corinium Museum, Cirencester for more details about this and other exhibitions running throughout the year.
Update 20th March 2015
Out & About Are you a fan of the current [...]