Classes with Vendulka Battais
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.
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Creating Glitter Fabric with Vendulka Battais
Vendulka Battais demonstrates how to use a mixture of Glitter, Metallic, and Fashion Shimmer liner to create Glitter Fabric.
She gives tips on how to trial the pens on a fabric sample. Ensuring the colour and finish, before starting on your project.
Once dried the paint effects come to life...
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A Wander Around Oliven, a Quilt Shop in Suffolk
Vendulka displays her inspirational work throughout her gallery studio.
In this fascinating studio tour with Valerie, she highlights work completed during the lockdown period, referring to pieces displayed as she describes her methods and thinking.
A variety of designs are on display, demonstrati... -
Cathedral Window Patchwork with Vendulka Battais
Vendulka demonstrates her stunning basic cushion project using three fabrics inspired by her book Cathedral Windows – New Views.
She includes thoughts on choosing a variety of fabrics to ensure contrast and selection of the window fabric, which is so easy to do with her technique.
She also explor... -
Cathedral Windows - New Views: an Interview with Vendulka Battais
“Cathedral windows – New Views” is a new technique of creating the window where the contrast of colours allows the frames to stand out. This creates an enhanced 3D effect.
Vendulka’s use of a single window block allows her to play with designs, fabrics and colours. She shows how the magic of diff... -
Butterfly Cushion Workshop Using Marabu Paints with Vendulka Battais
The butterfly cushions designs are a combination of simple quilting and painting with Marabu paints. In this delightful workshop Vendulka guides us through the stages of making the front design. Vendulka has two designs on offer. The first is a simple one that can be quilted with a straight stitc...
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Meet Vendulka Battais: Winner of Best-in-Show Award at Festival of Quilts 2021
In this lovely interview, we get to learn how Vendulka and her husband Olivier worked together to create this amazing piece of work.
This beautiful quilt was made by them both. They entered it into the Two Person quilt category. And they also won!
The mandala design was drawn by Olivier, i...
