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
Retreat in Bridlington
I mentioned on facebook that I was off to Bridlington on Sunday 26th Oct having been invited by Fiona Garth to head up a 3 day patchwork retreat at the Royal Hotel; 250 miles each way but what a great time I had and my lovely room had a sea view! 3 different workshops - Thangles; Take 9 and Crazy and while some of the students were brave enough to stick with me all three days ( - leap into the unknown as we hadn't met before!) others changed places for each of the days.
Buy a quilt for Christmas and support Alzheimer Scotland
Ann Hill arranged that the Hampden Park stadium would be covered in quilts to raise awareness and funds for Alzheimer Scotlandand what an even that was; now the quilts are looking for new homes; if you originally made a quilt for the project you can buy it back or you can just select another quilt and give it a new loving home.
Thankyou
Lianne says: Can I take this opportunity to let you know what a wonderful and informative website this is. It always inspires me to try different sewing projects. The teaching is wonderfully clear and detailed. Well done everyone. thankyou - always nice to know that we are coming across well and being inspirational.