With a studio located on the shores of Lake Superior just south of the serene and picturesque city of Thunder Bay in northwestern Ontario, Heliinä Swerdlyk is an independent designer and artisan with a passion for inspired, one-of-a-kind accessories, luxurious fibres and the art of hand-crafting. 

Felted purses, handbags and totes are Heliinä’s specialty and accessories such as nordic-style and felted mittens are also part of a seasonal collection. 

She takes inspiration from her rich and varied Finnish, Swedish, Austrian and Ukrainian heritage, as well as her yearly, wandering adventures and has a keen enthusiasm for working with the lush, diverse colours and textures that mimic the exquisite natural beauty of Northern Ontario. 

With over twenty years of experience involved in textile art, Heliinä has built up extensive skill and knowledge in varied mediums including soft sculpture, sewing, knitting, crocheting, surface art, collage, needlework, beading and both wet and dry felting. With never less than a dozen projects on the go at a time, Heliinä is always learning something new and is currently looking to expand into spinning and dying her own wool, more wearable art and wall hangings. She is an artist with wide-ranging interests and expertise who also enjoys painting and photography. 

Heliinä has lived for extended periods in Vancouver, British Columbia; Seattle, Washington; and Dryden, Ontario before being drawn back to the natural splendor of her hometown and surrounding area. She has also traveled extensively throughout North America. She is a member of the Canadian Knitwear Designers and Artisans Association and enjoys sharing the satisfaction and addiction of the fibre-arts with others.

About the Designs: 

Each purse, handbag, and tote, as well as the accessories, is designed and handmade, personally, by Heliinä with the highest quality craftsmanship and materials. 

The designs are fashioned from her exclusive patterns and not mass-produced. Every item is one-of-a-kind.

Heliinä aims for the exclusive use of fine Canadian fibres in her designs, including those from Briggs & Little of New Brunswick, Lismore Sheep Farm & Fleece Artist, both of Nova Scotia, and Lemieux wools from Quebec, though she is pleased to also offer her clientele their choice of luxurious wools of Iceland, Norway, New Zealand and Japan and, as available, one-of-a-kind, hand-spun and painted artisan fibres.

Embellishments include beautiful wood, bamboo, sisal and rope handles; glass, bone and crystal beads and on some items, hand-embroidery.

Heliinä’s expert skill and passion for her craft, like the fibers woven into her designs, can be seen throughout the palette of her work. All her pieces are inspired works of art, yielding a confluence of rich colours, appealing textures and alluring patterns that deliver a remarkable external impression of beauty.