Welcome to PurseAndPillow.com

It is a wonderful thing when a mother and daughter can put together ideas.  Ideas that interest and even excite others who love to see art presented in different and interesting ways.

The mother is Maine artist Middy Thomas.  She has been and still is, at age 92, a painter, sculptor, and illustrator. She has shown her work in Maine and throughout the world. Below is Middy, busy at work on one of her paintings in Studio 7, Brunswick, Maine.  Many of the paintings and drawings shown here are for sale directly from the artist herself.   How to contact?  [email protected]

The daughter is Maine sewist, Sally Hipsher, a retired OR nurse and lover of the craft of sewing.  Four of Sally’s quilts now comfort children recovering from Cleft Palate surgery.  Friends love to receive Sally’s original designs for special occasions.  Tea towels, table runners, placemats, and purses are just some of the beautiful and useful items that Sally creates. 

This all began when Middy painted a pink lily on a piece of canvas. Sally thought to herself, “that would make an interesting pillow”. She quilted the canvas and made a pillow.  One her friends saw it and said, “You could sell these”.  Purse and Pillow was born.

The process:  Sally photographs Middy’s original paintings and sends the photos to be reproduced on cotton-linen fabric (by Spoonflower.com). Sally then free motion quilts the pieces and makes them into beautiful, personalized pillows.  Each pillow is individually done and no two are exactly alike. 

Middy Thomas at work in her home studio in Brunswick, Maine

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Below are some of her paintings that were used for sewing projects.

Red Flowers in Green Vase
Birches in Winter
Yellow Tulips
Island Life
Rocky Coast
Fish collage

Yellow & Purple Flowers

Orchids in Bloom

Birches in Finland