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
My weekend at the National Patchwork Championships
Exhausting but fun seems to be the way that shows go for me these days; this one started early with my first turn at judging – I really enjoyed it and it is amazing how different quilts are when you are asked to study them as opposed to just walking by and waiting for one to jump out at you.
More inspiration from our workshops
Just to let you know I really enjoy your video clips on techniques and workshops and find them very easy to follow, I watch the same ones over and over especially Jennies and Maggie Davies techniques on applique. Please see the attached photo of a cushion I made using my new embellishment equipment, I was going to make a picture but after seeing Jennies video on piping a cushion thought why not give it a go and I was very pleased with the outcome and think I will get more use of it as a cushion (only to look at not use, couldnt ruffle the lambs coat) I also put a zip across the back.
National Flag mania
Flag mania seems to have hit the Home Dec market but you don't have to be traditional : here are some examples of other colourways: