Vendulka’s and Olivier’s passion for sewing turned into career when they opened a fabric shop called OliVen in 2011. This is a space where they can explore new techniques and also pass them on, as teaching is massive part of Vendulka’s journey.
“I started with traditional squares and triangles, which gave me good skills I can now build upon,” Vendulka says. “My passion for free motion quilting took me away from piecing and more into whole cloth and art quilts. I’m also very lucky I can share this passion with my husband Olivier.”
The intricate design of the quilts in this exhibition have been designed by Olivier and quilted by Vendulka. They then explored the use of glittery and metallic paints to bring more colour and, more interestingly, ‘bling’ to their work, which is not often seen in textiles.
Each piece is dedicated to a different woman who inspired or influenced their textile journey. Since embarking on her textile art adventure, Vendulka has won awards at major quilt shows, including first runner-up in Wearable art at PIQF in California. Pieces made together with Olivier have won third place in the Great Northern quilt show in Harrogate and Best in Show at the Festival of Quilts 2021.
