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
S.A.Q.A. 2012 Benefit Auction
This auction started at 2pm Eastern/11am Pacific time on 10th Sept: its being held at www.saqa.com and it is a reverse auction of 288 glorious small works of art crated and donated by SAQA's members to raise money to support SAQA's exhibition, education and outreach programs. Three groups: Group 1 starts Sept 10th Group 2 starts Sept 17 Group 3 starts Sept 24 and a special group will be auctioned at the International Quilt Festival in Houston, Texas from Oct 31st-Nov 4th.
Granddaughter’s Memory Quilt
Lyn seems to be such a busy grandma. She says: Am just coming to the end of my Granddaughter's memory quilt...my daughter Ali couldn't bear to part with Izzy's old baby clothes so asked if I could do something to 'keep': all the sashings are from her dresses and I used the bibs and babygrows for the pictures. also stitched in the age labels on the tangled star pillow front....Lyn
Twisted Tote
More from Lyn Butler - this time with a twist: (and don't the flowers look good too!)