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
Jennie JR Tote it all Bag
Stephanie considers herself a novice quilter but managed to make this lovely bag from Jennie's tutorial and obviously raided her stash: well done! The JR Tote it all Bag can be viewed here:
Do I need to wash my fabrics before using them?
To wash or not to wash – that is the question I love the feel of new (quilting) fabric and make so many quilts that I don’t have time to wash them all BUT I am aware that certain colours are notorious for ‘bleeding’ – red and blue in particular – so when in doubt...... no don’t leave them out – deal with them!!
Look what the kids made
Under the watchful eye of Vicky Munday a group of 8-11 year olds (boys and girls) from the Pluto class at St.John Evangelist School,Islington, meet on a Monday evening (after school) for a hour - using donated fabrics, threads and other bits and bobs they made this pile of treasures. Young sewing addicts I would say!!! (P.S.