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
Newsletters
Today was the day we sent out the second of our newsletters for November – did you get yours? If not please let us know. We were recently forced to change our email provider and we have discovered that certain email addresses are a little more difficult to send through to – these may include those at blueyonder; tiscali; talk talk and aol (and that includes Jennie and Valerie so we aren’t singling anyone out!!!) Our Tech team are trying to get to the bottom of the problem or indeed find a work-around, so please bear with us. You can read the current missive by clicking here: Don’t forget that you can watch on your iPad (but you might need a little help from Puffin!).
News update15th November 2013
It’s Friday again so there must be some new videos [...]
A couple of comments from you
Dear Val and Jennie,
Thank you for bringing the superb fabric bundle The Lakes, to your site. The colours are mouth wateringly beautiful and I would love a pack.
Your site is excellent I love the way you include some different skills, as it is always exciting to learn something new. Many thanks
Margaret I have been a subscribed member for a few months now and just love the site.
I have just became a grandmother for the first time and intend to make my new grandson Jennie's yoyo caterpillar for Christmas. Barbara