introduction

Plus signs have been a universally appealing design in popular culture for over 100 years, forming some of the most recognizable logos in the world. There is no mistaking the logos of the American Red Cross and Swiss Army.

Drawn to this simple and strong geometric shape, quilters have used plus signs extensively throughout history. Some of the first popular plus sign quilt designs were signature quilts made in the early 1900s to support the Red Cross during World War I. Individuals and businesses would pay a small fee to have their name embroidered on such a quilt, and then the finished project would be raffled off to generate additional funds for the cause.

This vintage Red Cross quilt was made in Lake County, Illinois in 1915, with each resident paying 10 cents to have his or her name embroidered on the quilt. Each of the blocks contained 1 red plus sign and about 40 embroidered names on the white background.

Photo by Mark Widhalm

Red Cross signature quilt, circa 1915, from the collections of Lake County Discovery Museum

Photo by Mark Widhalm

Detail of Red Cross signature quilt

You can make your own modern version of the Red Cross signature quilt using the instructions in Signature Plus. Our version was made with the help of 122 quilters, each making and signing a signature block. It is the perfect pattern for a modern quilting bee.

Detail of Signature Plus

The plus sign’s popularity in quilts has withstood the test of time, with new plus sign quilts being made every year.

This book contains sixteen different quilt patterns made with a variety of techniques, including traditional piecing, paper piecing, and appliqué. Quilt sizes range from baby through queen. A difficulty rating from “+” (most beginner friendly) to “+++” (more time consuming and challenging) is noted for each pattern.

We hope that you enjoy and are inspired by this collection of new and modern twists on the classic plus sign. We can’t wait to see what you make!