Eulogy

Pauline Hermetet

December 1915 - July 2011

The quote on the little brown, removable book: I have flown because you gave me wings.


Inside the little brown booklet is a letter: Dear Aunt Pauline, I wanted you to know of my admiration of you. As a child, you encouraged me to read, just as you, yourself, read as a child. As a young woman, you taught me through example how grace and creativity blend to a whole. Unfortunately for me, the elegance part hasn't stuck. This small book lightly traces your life from childhood, through high school and college, and the war years at Boeing. I have tried to portray your love of music and fiber in a fashion that you would appreciate -- that of one needlewoman to another. Than you for being a profound influence in my life. Your loving niece, Paula

Pauline was the oldest daughter of three and grew up in Colorado among a loving family.  She was a third generation pioneer descendent.

She loved music and had a beautiful soprano singing voice and accompanied herself on the piano. One day in her later years, she stopped singing and never sang another note. Even she didn't know why. 

As part of the Greatest Generation, Pauline worked at Boeing as a drafts person during World War II. After the war, she returned to Colorado where she grew up as a child.

 

Her love of books encouraged creativity and dreaming. She taught school in a one room school house in Moffet, Colorado, and later went on to teach and be a school secretary in the Denver School District.

She graduated High School during the Great Depression in the 1930s. In her spare time, she embroidered flower quilt blocks printed in the local paper. She said it was to keep her hands busy and to stay out of trouble.

She was an extraordinary needlewoman who designed her own patterns and she specialized in embroidery and needlepoint.

Elegance is an Attitude. This describes Pauline perfectly. She was soft spoken and never had a bad word to say about anyone. 

She loved tulips and so the book ends with a flower to echo the flower that has now faded away.

Notes on techniques in the book:
The white bow in the corner echoes the white bow in her hair.
The music 'box' is actual printed sheet music. The applique was inspired by a photo of Auntie taken in the 1940's.
The hole in the page lines up with the eye on the next page. Gears are CitraSolv transfer, the faint plane is stenciled and the rest is stamped.
Pockets support the fabric tags with their Dymo label printed words
Graduation picture transferred onto fabric. Word embossed onto velvet.

May D&F Tower transferred onto fabric, silk ribbon embroidery, sequin and bead embellished, embroidery on crazy quilt block.

Rubber stamping in fabric background, words printed directly onto fabric background and college photo transferred onto silk then fused onto background, 3D flower petals.
This tulip is thread painted. A small inkjet transfer of a recent photo is nestled into a postage stamp frame on the last page of the book.