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
More great content for Justhands-on.tv
Val: We had a great filming day yesterday when Dave, Matt and I were joined by Dawn Cameron-Dick who told us more about her great new book ‘The Pocket Tutor’ and we also filmed a great workshop on her Snuggle Quilt pattern – perfect for groups to swap fabrics as well as using up your own fabric stash – so look out for those in the new year.
Quilting away from home
Pattern from Carolyn Forster Surrounded by good friends at a great hotel (so food and drink appear at regular intervals) and all we have to do is sew - what bliss. Such a great idea and here is what I managed to achieve so far (Kaleidoscope Hexagon pattern by Carolyn Forster); am also working on making an alternative version of our Block of the Month Rosebud Fayre quilt – Jennie and I made so many samples for the camera that I couldn’t allow them to go to waste – picture will have to follow as camera now has flat battery (forgot the charger!); Dunford House Quilt Retreat Can’t recommend a getaway highly enough – why not think about joining us all at Midhurst in July; here is the link for more details https://www.justhands-on.tv/small-ads/54/scrap-happy-quilts--pieceful-projects/ (and if you just want to sit in a corner and sew our own thing let us know – you would be VERY welcome too)
November 2011
This is a really busy month and with an eye [...]