The Billie Eilish Quilt
Not usually very rock and roll! – The Billie Eilish Quilt and one Mums quest to grab her attention at the concert!
Mum, Devida Bushrod (43) created a quilt of Billie Eilish for her daughter struggling with depression in a bid to try and capture Billies attention at her concert!
Devida explains ‘This quilt started as an idea for a banner that we could take to Billie Eilish concert. To try and capture her attention just for a second and make my daughters dream come true. But the concert was cancelled, along with everything else in 2020. So last month, when we managed to purchase new tickets to see her – the banner idea took flight.’
Devida Bushrod, a Hampshire UK native who recently moved to Tulsa, Oklahoma with her Husband Jason (48) daughter Maddy (17) and son Josh (15) spent over 80+ hours creating a quilt of singer Billie Eilish. Devida’s daughter Maddy had been left disappointed when Eilish had to cancel her tour dates due to covid in 2020.
Devida explains ‘2020 was a tough year for most people, but moving internationally just after the first lockdown in England was especially hard for Maddy, who was just 16 at the time.’
Maddy was a part of the first 550,000 year 11 students in 2020 that didn’t get to sit their GCSE exams. ‘We had bought tickets to see Billie Eilish months in advance as a celebration for Maddy for completing her GCSE’s, but the event was cancelled because of Covid. The concert was the reason we were staying in England until the end of July, we had flights booked for the next day to move to Oklahoma, but we chose that date so that Maddy could see Billie Eilish.’
New concert dates were released in July 2021 and the family booked another 4 tickets to see the singer next year. ‘That is when the idea for making a banner for the concert started again!’ Devida explains.
‘For anyone that knows me in real life, knows that sewing is my therapy. It’s my way of focusing the anxiety I experience and creating something that I can give to someone I love and hopefully let them know how precious they are. Taking something bad like anxiety and depression and turning it into something good.’
‘This project became much bigger than I imagined, 1,846 pieces of fabric bigger! 80+ hours of work and I don’t think I’d be allowed to take it into a concert venue now!’
Devida is a self-taught quilter and has completed over 50+ quilts for friends and family over the last 14 years. But none quite so unique as the Billie Eilish Quilt. The quilt consists of 10 yards of Kona cotton fabrics on the front alone and was made from 1,846 pieces. The picture of Billie Eilish is from the front cover of her new album, which has been pixelated to achieve the effect and make it quilt-friendly.
Talking about the quilt she says ‘This is probably the most unique quilt I have made and I love the way it reads differently from up close – you really can’t get the full effect of it until it is at least 10 feet away from you.’
‘My family and friend that’s have seen the quilt have all said I should put it on social media and try and try and see if Billie Eilish would sign it. It would BE A DREAM for Maddy if I could someway, somehow get it signed by Billie and turn a horror of a year for her, into something she will always cherish’
Further Information
Quilt size: 80” x 80”
Number of pieces: 1,846
Yardage used for front of quilt: 10 Yards of Kona Cotton Solids
Time taken to complete: 80+ hours
Quilted by: Judy Lowry J 29:11 Quilting
