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
Rotary cutters
I was wondering if you could tell me which rotary cutters Jennie used in the fabric balls video? My cutter needs replacing and I fancy one of the safety ones which become safe when raising the cutter from the fabric. Answer: I think Jennie was using the Trucut range of rotary cutter which has a groove in it and is best used with its own ruler; however Olfa do both sizes 28mm and 45mm cuttter with a self-closing system, and these are readily available from quilt shops (but if in doubt you can contact Isa@creativequilting.co.uk) Want to see the Fabric Balls video? click here:
How do I know if the fabric is cotton?
Do a burn test – I know that sounds dramatic but we aren’t suggesting you set your stash alight!! In essence, cotton fibres ignite as the flame from your match draws near Synthetic fibres curl away from the heat and tend to ‘melt’. Take a few fibres; put into flameproof container with sides maybe, and apply a small flame from a long handled match maybe, and watch what happens.
