Born in Nashville, Tennessee, Anne Orr is known for her distinctive needlework designs. Art
classes were a part of her schooling as a young lady, which aided her career as an art editor. It
wasn’t until about 1920 that her interest was drawn to quilt patterns and eventually to publishing two
booklets of modern patters for Lockport Batting Company and wrote her last book, Anne Orr Quilts.

Prior to designing quilt patterns, she produced knitting, crochet and tatting patterns and books, and
ran a successful mail order business.

Magazines for which she worked included Southern Woman’s Magazine, Good Housekeeping and
Better Hones and Gardens. Following Anne Orr’s death, Dove Publications published some of her
needlework patterns and instruction books, including Quilting with Anne Orr.
Ann Orr
(1875-1946)
Pattern designer, magazine editor, operated Anne
Orr Studio. Inducted in 1980 at the Continental
Quilting Congress, Arlington, Virginia.
Research Associate: Merikay Waldvogel