A visit to Vendulka and Olivier Battais at Oliven Patchwork and Quilting
Pete and I were visiting Suffolk in November for an installation of a Handi Quilter Amara and servicing of a machine so while we were in the area we popped in to see how Vendulka and Olivier Battais were getting on with their Handi Quilter Amara which they had had installed by Pete only the previous month. Olivier and Vendulka have been running their Patchwork and Quilting Shop "Oliven" for the past 10 years. It's open by appointment in Monks Eleigh which is between Bury St Edmunds and Ipswich in Suffolk. I first met Vendulka at the Duxford show when her method of painting on quilts with Marabu Liners really attracted me to her stand. The next time we met was on the stage at the Festival of Quilts in August 2021 when I was delighted to award both Vendulka and her husband the joint award for Handi Quilter Best in Show and a prize of £3,500. It is a truly stunning quilt entitled "Our Ladies". A collaborative work by Olivier and Vendulka and you can hear more about...