About The Artist: Heidi Zielinski
Through a strong connection with color, texture and cloth I create abstract compositions for the wall with the hope of communicating and sharing my deep admiration and respect for the natural world and the beauty to be found there.
My work is mostly an abstract collage style with free motion machine quilting—meaning the designs and lines are all guided by my own hand. Frequently I add elements of embroidery, beading, couched yarns/fibers and various surface design techniques like stamping. I use various techniques/materials to add imagery from nature into my quilts. Recent work has incorporated my own ice dyed fabrics, but many pieces are still inspired by commercial textiles that I love from my collection.
I use a Pfaff Performance 5.0 domestic sewing machine and a Handiquilter Sweet 16 sit-down machine for the machine stitching of my work. I move the quilt to create the stitch designs. The embroidery and beading are done by hand. I love all parts of the process from selecting the fabric to attaching the label on the back, and I never seem to run out of inspiration for the next one!
The artist grew up and currently lives in western Montana where mountains, rivers, forests and wildlife abound. Her mother, a talented quilter, shared her love of the outdoors with Heidi from the time she was a small child. Her father was an avid birder, professor of Forestry, and watercolor painter of birds in their habitats who also truly appreciated nature. The birds at her feeders, the mountain vistas out her windows and the flowers in her garden—all of these things and more inspire Heidi’s art. Her passion for the medium of fabric and for incorporating stitch and embellishment into her work is obvous.
Heidi has been showing and selling her fiber art under her business name, Fiber Into Art by Heidi, since 2007. She has shown at galleries, national/international level juried art and quilt shows across the country, an annual open house/studio tour, various other regional and local venues. Heidi has had many solo exhibitions and participated in lots of group exhibitions. She has written numerous magazine articles featuring her art and techniques in various print and on-line publications.
She was honored to be invited to be on Quilting Arts TV for two seasons which originally aired in 2022 and 2023. QATV Series 2900 has three episodes featuring Heidi and Series 3000 has one. These can still be seen on PBS as various stations replay the many series of Quilting Arts as well as through downloads of each series available for purchase on the Quilting Daily website. Heidi occasionally teaches and lectures about her work and her techniques for local groups, quilt shops and quilt guilds, but her true passion is to be in the studio making art. The inspiration for the work never wanes and the process and product feeds her soul—as she hopes it does yours.
SELECTED SOLO AND GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2025
Studio Art Quilt Associates Juried Virtual Gallery: Geometric Expressions – “Let Evening Come”
Studio Art Quilt Associates CO/UT/WY Juried Regional traveling exhibit: Balance – “”Land, Sea and Air”
Sacred Threads Juried Quilt Exhibition, Indianapolis, IN – “Sunlit River Glows”
Montana 709 Gallery, Missoula, MT – One of 3 Featured Artists for November 2025
2024
Nancy’s Notions Website “Sew and Tell” December Featured Artist
Nancy’s Notions Website “Quilt and Tell” – February Featured Artist
Brunswick Gallery – The Nature of Fiber: Two Artist’s Reflections – October
2023
Broad Spectrum: Abundant Pallet – SAQA Regional traveling exhibit
2022
Quilting Arts TV - PBS – Featured in 3 episodes of Series 2900, 1 episode Series 3000
“Out Of The Box” Montana Bricolage Artists (MBA) Group Show – Explore The Arts Gallery, Hamilton, MT
Harmony, Juried Textile Art Exhibition, Great Falls, VA and Chicago, IL
Broad Spectrum, Juried MT/ID Regional Studio Art Quilt Associates Exhibition, Paris Gibson Square Museum
Nancy’s Notions “Quilt and Tell” November Featured Artist
2021
Big Fork Art & Cultural Center – Forms In Fiber group exhibition
The Artist’s Shop gallery – “The Avian Muse” Solo Exhibition – May, 2021
Pacific International Quilt Festival – Juried international exhibition; Santa Clara, CA
Art Quilts XXVI – Juried National Fiber Art Exhibition – Visions Museum/Chandler Center for the Arts
Artsy Shark On-line Featured Artist - December
2020
“Fresh Fish” – 2 artworks included in Published Book
Broad Spectrum – Juried Studio Art Quilt Associates Montana/Idaho Regional Exhibition
2019
Art Focus Winter Art Show, Art Focus Gallery, Hamilton, MT – Juried exhibition
Arts North International, Hopkins Center For The Arts, Hopkins, MN – Juried multi-media art exhibition
River’s Mist Gallery & Gifts – September Featured Artist Retrospective Exhibition– Stevensville, MT
Pacific International Quilt Festival – Juried Show – Santa Clara, CA
Visions Quilt Museum – “Day of the Dead” Juried Special Exhibition – San Diego, CA
Quiltfest Lancaster – Juried National Quilt Show – Lancaster, PA
2018
September Fiber Show, River’s Mist Gallery & Gifts, Stevensville, MT – Three Invited Fiber Artists
Mid-Atlantic Quilt Festival – Juried National Quilt Show, Hamption, VA
E3 Convergence Gallery – Finale: Favorite Artists Show – Missoula, MT
2017
E3 Convergence Gallery - “White” Juried Exhibition – Missoula, MT
Festival of Thread 2017 – Juried Fiber Art Exhibition – Livingston, MT
Tres Chic Stitchery Newsletter – Featured Artist
Montana Bliss Artworks – Group Show with Montana Bricolage Artists
The Confident Stitch – September Featured Artist Solo Exhibition
2016
Machine Quilting Exposition Midwest – Invited as a Special Exhibit of my “The Visual Spectrum” Series
Machine Quilting Exposition East - Juried National Machine Quilting Show, New Hampshire
Uncommon Thread, Juried Fiber Art Exhibition, Big Fork, MT
Sunshine Coffee Shop, Solo Exhibition, Missoula, Montana
Repertoire Art & Design Gallery, “Soul of Missoula” Exhibition – People’s Choice Award
Art City, Solo Exhibition, Hamilton, MT
Mid-Atlantic Quilt Festival, Juried National Quilt Show, Hampton, VA
Festival of Thread 2016 – Juried Fiber Art Exhibition – Livingston, MT
2015
Machine Quilting Exposition - Juried National Machine Quilting Show, New Hampshire
The Artist's Shop Gallery, Solo Exhibition, Missoula, MT
Buttercup Market & Cafe, Solo Exhibition, Missoula, MT
Repertoire Art & Design Gallery, Mixed Media Invitational Exhibition, Missoula, MT
Lewistown Art Center, Lewistown, MT, Duo Exhibition with Denise Pfau, Gourd Artist
Montana Bricolage Artists Group Show, Missoula, MT
Pacific International Quilt Festival, Juried Quilt Show, Santa Ana, CA
2014
Denver National Quilt Festival, Juried National Show
“The 'Trunk' Show” Group Exhibition, Holter Museum of Art, Helena, MT, Montana Bricolage Artists
Purple Pomegranate Gallery, Whitefish, MT, Solo Exhibition
2013
Denver National Quilt Festival, Juried National Show
Mid-Atlantic Quilt Festival, National Juried Quilt Show, Hamption, VA
Pacific West Quilt Show, Juried Regional Quilt Show
NICHE Awards for American Craft, Finalist, Two Categories
Machine Quilting Exposition–West, National Quilt Show, Portland, OR
“Reflections”, Group fiber exhibition, Montana Bricolage Artists, Hamilton, MT
LaConner Quilt Festival, LaConner, WA, Juried Quilt Show
“Shelter” Juried Fiber Art Exhibition, Purple Pomegranate Gallery, Whitefish, MT
“The 'Trunk' Show” Group Exhibition, Paris Gibson Square Art Museum, Great Falls, MT
River's Mist Gallery, Stevensville, MT, Solo Exhibition
2012
Denver National Quilt Festival, Juried National Show
Machine Quilting Exposition – East, Juried National Show, Rhode Island
American Quilter's Society Show – Lancaster, PA
“Sophisticated Fiber” at River's Mist Gallery – Curated/coordinated group fiber show and Participant
Montana Art & Framing, Solo Exhibition, Missoula, MT
Rocky Mountain Laboratories, NIAID, Art/Science Exhibition: Science in Wonderland
Pacific West Quilt Show, Group Exhibition, “The 'Trunk' Show”, Montana Bricolage Artists
Mid-Atlantic Quilt Festival, Juried National Show, Hampton, VA
Broad Spectrum, Regional Studio Art Quilt Associates Juried Exhibition. Venues: Ryniker-Morrison Gallery, Rocky Mountain College and Denver National Quilt Festival
2011
Machine Quilting Exposition - West, Juried National Machine Quilting Show, Portland, Oregon
The Artist's Shop Gallery, Solo Exhibition
River's Mist Gallery, Family Exhibition: “Art In The Family”
Pacific West Quilt Show, Juried Regional Show, Tacoma, Washington
Northern National Art Competition, Juried National Fine Art Competition, Rhinelander, Wisconsin
Studio Art Quilt Associates Juried Exhibit -“Sense of Adventure” – Premier: International Quilt Festival – Houston
American Quilter's Society - Knoxville, Knoxville, Tennessee, Juried International Show
The “Trunk” Show –Group Exhibit, Montana Bricolage Artists, Premier:Montana Art & Framing, Missoula,MT
Art City Gallery, Solo Exhibition, Hamilton, Montana
Denver National Quilt Festival, Juried National Show
The Artist's Shop Gallery, Birds in Art Group Exhibition
Stevensville Art and Sculpture Society (SASS) – “Bitterroot Artist's Showcase”, Stevensville, MT
Mid-Atlantic Quilt Festival, Juried National Show
2010
Art Quilts XV: Needleplay, Chandler, Arizona, Juried Art Quilt Show
Missoula Art Museum, Juried Silent Auction
Daly Mansion Holiday Craft Show, Juried Fine Craft Show, Hamilton, Montana
The Artist's Shop Gallery, “Many Faces of Fiber”, Group Exhibition
Pacific International Quilt Festival XIX, Santa Clara, California
American Quilter's Society Show - Des Moines, IA, Juried International Show (3rd Place Award)
Innovations 2010, Tacoma, Washington
Images 2010, Lowell Quilt Festival, Lowell, MA, Juried Quilt Show,
Sapphire Quilt Show, Stevensville, Montana, “Featured Quilt Artist”
Mikesell's Fine Jewelry, Hamilton, Montana, Solo Exhibition
Dana Gallery, Missoula, Montana, Celebration of Missoula Artists Show, Juried Exhibition
River's Mist Gallery of Fine Art, Solo Exhibition, Stevensville, Montana
Denver National Quilt Festival, Juried National Show
Machine Quilting Exposition (MQX), Juried National Show
Mid-Atlantic Quilt Festival, Juried National Show
2009
Stevensville Art & Sculpture Society Holiday Art Show, Stevensville Hotel, Stevensville, Montana
The Beaded Pony, Solo Exhibition, Stevensville, Montana
Pacific International Quilt Festival, Juried International Show
“Fibrations”, Studio Art Quilt Associates (SAQA), Juried National Exhibit (two-year commitment)
Denver National Quilt Festival, Juried National Show
The Whooping Crones Gallery, Solo Exhibition, Missoula, MT
2008
Pacific National Quilt Festival, Juried Regional Show
Denver National Quilt Fest, Juried National Show
PUBLICATIONS
The Digital Cloth – Online Australian E-Magazine – Featured artist article/images - 2023
Quilting Arts Magazine – Winter 2023, Feature Article: “A Perfect Pair” - 2023
Art Quilting Studio Magazine –2020, “Discover Quilting with Heidi Zielinski” Featured Artist Portfolio - 2020
Distinctly Montana Magazine – Spring - “A Patchwork of Fiber Artists” (1 of 6 featured artists) - 2018
“Abstracting Nature” published article – Machine Quilting Unlimited Magazine - 2017
“The Visual Spectrum” – Color Wheel Series Article - Machine Quilting Unlimited Magazine - 2016
1000 Quilt Inspirations book – Images of 3 of my Art Quilts - 2015
“Stamp & Stitch” article - American Quilter Magazine - 2014
“Free Form Quilting for Fabric Art” article - Machine Quilting Unlimited Magazine - 2014
“Strata Art Quilts” article - The Quilt Life Magazine - 2013
Machine Quilting Unlimited Magazine E-Newsletter, Featured Quilt of the Month - 2011
American Quilter Magazine, AQS Des Moines Quilt Show Winners - 2010
SAQA Journal, SAQA Member Gallery, Fall 2010 - 2010
Machine Quilting Unlimited Magazine, May Issue, Featured Quilt in Noteworthy Column - 2010
CURRENT GALLERY REPRESENTATION
The Artist's Shop – Consignment Artist since 2011
127 N. Higgins, Missoula, MT 59802
(406) 543-6393
PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS/MEMBERSHIPS
Studio Art Quilt Associates (SAQA) – Artist Member since 2008
SAQA Montana/Idaho Regional Group and CO/UT/WY Regional Group
Montana Bricolage Artists (MBA) – Founder/Member – Fiber Artists
TARTS – Textile Art Group – Missoula, MT
EDUCATION
1987 – Bachelor's Degree – Hotel Administration – The University of Nevada-Las Vegas, Las Vegas, Nevada
1985 – Bachelor's Degree – Business Administration – The University of Montana, Missoula, Montana