Pattern designer has line of artistic quilted jackets

By BARBARA GASH
KNIGHT RIDDER NEWSPAPERS
Growing up in southwestern Michigan, Debra Beadles Youngs was a tall, skinny kid who found that clothes from stores never fit.
"I was given my first sewing machine at age 5, and seriously started making my own things at 10. It didn't take long to develop patterns. With scissors and newspaper, and many projects in the trash can, I soon got the hang of it," says Youngs.
At 12, her grandmother taught her to quilt, and that became a passion, too. While raising her own family, she produced over 100 quilts, many of which now adorn her home. Her education in architecture provided Youngs with more skills in drafting and construction technology, and about five years ago she combined her quilting and clothing expertise to develop a line of patterns for quilted jackets. These are artistically pieced and are easily adjusted to fit many sizes.
At present, her Off the Bed Quilted Clothes line includes six jacket patterns retailing for $12 each. The construction is fairly easy, she explains, but she encourages people to be creative in their interpretations of the design.
The jackets lend themselves to embellishment of one's choosing. "I like to have my students stretch their imaginations beyond the usual comfort zone," says Youngs.
To learn more about her products, visit www.artuwear.net.
XBarbara Gash writes about sewing for the Detroit Free Press. Write to her at the Free Press, P.O. Box 828, Detroit, Mich. 48231.