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
Mystery Quilt still a hit
A quick note to say how much I enjoyed the Midsummer Mystery Quilt ... and although it's taken me a little while to finish it, here is a picture of the end result. I am thrilled with it. I'm going to do another one to fit my double bed because I like it so much. This is still available for you to work on - you just need to get a large bundle of 2 1/2" strips, and/or a jelly roll handy and you are ready to start.
Do you struggle with accurate piecing?
Here are a couple of tips which I hope you will find useful: You do need to make sure that when you have two pieces of fabric being sewn together that they start and top together - don't assume that the machine will do that for you because the way the machine works is the top fabric is being pushed towards you and the bottom fabric being pulled away from you; this 'drag' varies on the machine and on the fabrics you are using and a little with the foot you are using. So always hold onto the fabric with a pin or with your hands until you have sewn right to the bottom and if you are using a thread catcher, this will encourage you to do this.
Alzheimer Scotland pattern book
Ann Hill is a tireless supporter and fundraiser for Alzheimer Scotland; one of her recent projects was to arrange to cover the Hampden Park Football stadium turf with quilts -which she did!!!! (and we suggested a really quick and easy pattern for you to make: click here to enjoy: ) Another of her projects has been to produce this book of patterns entitled 'Scottish Quilt Patterns - which contains a wide variety of projects and patterns for you to follow.