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
Fusible Wadding
I have purchased fusible wadding for a wall hanging made yesterday, but it came off a roll and there were no instructions. Do I just layer up with my project back and front and iron on? Answer: I seem to recall that a good press will adhere the wadding BUT a gentle iron will add to the fusion; so see what works!
To sash or not to sash (your quilt)
I have just finished 12 blocks and i'm ready to put them together.
The question is 'to sash or not to sash'. Is there a rule? Answer: Definitely personal choice but you might also be governed by how big you want the quilt to be; and are you adding more borders? In which the 1st outside sashing could be considered to be a border - see The First Sampler Quilt series if you want to know what I mean.
Also it depends on the block: by putting them together do you get an interesting secondary pattern? or are there more seams that need matching that you don't want?!?!?
Border Fabric need joining but where?
One of my ladies is piecing the top of a 9 block sample quilt..and because she has made her sashing a little wider..when she is putting her border on the it is shorter than the full width of the fabric by a few inches...she will obviously have to add a little but where would you suggest she puts this add on please?