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
Handing over more qults to Momentum
Major fundraising event for Momentum this weekend at the Kew Sparkle nr Richmond Surrey; lots of quilts will be available to purchase and here are just two that were donated: Momentum is a registered charity established in 2004 which aims to help children (up to the age of 17) and the families of children, undergoing treatment for cancer in Surrey and South West London.
Finding Ruby – A Patchwork of People
We are now looking for new people to join us and we would love to connect with other people, groups and communities and share our experience and some time learning and crafting.
The idea is to complete this work and the rose quilt plus another community quilt project by the end of 2013 and to design and produce a beautiful book and exhibition all about it.
A big thankyou from ‘Roses from the Heart’
For the past 7 years Christina Henri, artist in residence at the Female Factory in Hobart, has been orchestrating one of the world's largest art works. Now it is nearing completion and it is time to take it to the next level. This is going to support Hobart and help transform Tasmania into a powerhouse of creativity. I am writing to you because she has been in contact with you over the past few years.