DYSART - Some people call it junk. Others, like Robin Werner and Deb Ewoldt, consider it a crucial component of their latest business venture.

The Dysart women have created RustyYards, a combination of Werner's Isabelle Originals & Ivy Threads quilt and fabric shop and Ewoldt's Blacksmith Boutique, a shop that creates sculptures out of rusted metal objects.

"I think RustyYards is thinking beyond quilting," Werner said. "You look at junk a whole new way."

Some love it, some don't care for it, and some just don't understand the rust imprints, Ewoldt said.

The idea to use rusty metal for clothing and decorative purposes originated with Ewoldt's RustyWear clothing line. Placing a truly rustic pattern on pieces of embossed or organic cotton was Werner's idea.

"It's fun to work with people in town and incorporate two different (shops)," Ewoldt said.

Werner purchases and cuts the fabric and then gives it to Ewoldt to design, print and treat the fabric with a solution, which ensures that the colors won't bleed.

Using rusty nails, panels and other pieces of metal deemed "junk" by others, Ewoldt transforms a single piece of embossed or organic cotton fabric into a rustic bedsheet, tablecloth or pillowcase. Aprons, T-shirts, place mats, napkins and purses also have been "rustified" through RustyYards.

A children's outfit made of RustyYards was featured in "Soiree in the City: What Women Want" event in Dysart on Saturday.

"It's exclusive to us," Werner said of the Dysart-born creations.

The amount of rust on the metal and the temperature of the upstairs workspace in the Brick-a-Brack building influences both the strength of the rust patterns and the time it takes to complete an order, Ewoldt said. Because of these variables, no two pieces are ever the same.

Although RustyYards accepts orders, the women said they can't guarantee a specific outcome.

"It's original," Werner said. "Each piece is a piece of art."

The fabric is available in white or khaki green. RustyYards also plans to add black to their color selection.