About Me

Debra Beadles Youngs, founder of Art U Wear, is a quilt and
clothing designer living in Schoolcraft, Michigan.

Debra began sewing at age 10 and soon began to develop her
own patterns. She reflects that “as a tall, skinny kid nothing fit
right.” With scissors, newspaper, and many projects in the trash
can, she soon “got the hang of it.” Two years later, at age 12, her
grandmother, Mary Beadles, taught her to quilt. Quilting soon
became her passion. Though Debra studied architecture in
college, she chose to stay at home to raise her children. After 17
years, she discovered that she had accumulated over 30
queen-size bed quilts, several twins, and hundreds of baby quilts –
the results of passing the time at sports practices, riding lessons,
etc.
Art U Wear is a by-product of her love of quilts and the fact that the
sleeves are too short on most “store bought” jackets. Debra says
that “Sleeping under quilts my whole life gave me comfort. So what
could be better that a great fitting quilt?!”

As a Bernina supported designer, Debra lectures and teaches her
jacket techniques at workshops across the country. Her work has
been published in Wearable Art 1900-2000, a Schiffer Book for
Designers and Collectors. Her designs have been featured in
Bernina Magazine and Love of Quilting magazine. Debra has also
appeared on two PBS quilting shows. She remains active in her
local quilt guild and is currently enlarging her studio to house a
sewing school for children.

Debra lives with her husband, Ken, in a charming former one room
schoolhouse that they renovated in 1999, and are both proud
parents of two grown children and three grandchildren.