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
Quilting weekend – Dunford House 6-8th July 2012
Fun was had by all at our Dunford House quilt retreat weekend; the house was full and there was lots of laughter as well as sewing. Jennie as usual had us in stitches with her travel stories as well as getting down to her red swimsuit complete with embellishments and the pub quiz was won by the "Thanglers". The Dunford house staff did us proud - they looked after us superbly and the food was excellent - local produce well presented - and many of the bedrooms have undergone a upgrade and facelift with beautiful new soft furnishings.
Rice murals in the fields of Japan
Rice fields take on a whole new meaning when you see them like this: www.telegraph.co.uk/news/picturegalleries/howaboutthat/5965421/Paddy-art-farmers-create-colourful-rice-murals-in-Japan.html
Fun day at Creative Quilting
Dave and Matt joined me at Creative Quilting so that we could share this shop with you later in the year: here Dave finds his namesake! (the detail is from one of the Don't Look Now range of patterns that are sold at Creative Quilting) and Isa and I share a moment amongst the fabrics and I show you my finished scrap quilt (made in just 40 minutes and I'll show you how in August!)