Born in Saint-Aubin-sur-Scie, Seine Inférieure, France, she was the eldest of the 11 children of engineer Thomas Charles Pullinger (1867–1945) and Aurélie Berenice, née Sitwell (1871–1956). She was educated at Loughborough High School after the family moved to the UK when she was eight. The family settled in Swinlees farm, just outside Dalry, Ayrshire, where she created a sketchbook of drawings and simple paintings of the area. In 1910, she began work as a draftsperson at the Paisley works of Arrol-Johnston, the oldest and largest Scottish car manufacturer at that time. Her father, a well-known car designer, was managing director of the firm.
