Michelle Walker's life changed when she shared her upcycled clothing passion with Weekender readers in June.
People recognise her on the street. Her @revamped_hippyhouse Instagram page has new followers. On Fridays she helps a high-school student with her upcycling projects (she hopes to one day study design).
But it's the story of how Michelle met Rose that is the cherry on top.
Michelle transforms old blankets, bed spreads, tablecloths, doilies and even curtains into one-of-a-kind items of clothing. She is self-taught and works as a cleaner at Cardiff.
"I heard from a lady who is 81 and had read my story, kept the paper, and travelled all over trying to find me," Michelle says.
"She even caught the bus to Cardiff two days in a row to ask if anyone knew where she could find me.
"After three weeks of searching - and the newspaper still in her bag - she got my number and we talked on the phone for over an hour.
"She had some tablecloths to give me that her late sister had embroidered."
The delightful Rose, who lives at Mount Hutton and preferred her surname not be mentioned, laughs as she shares her story.
"I got my friend to run me over to Cardiff in the car and we asked everyone about Michelle, then we went to the Salvation Army at Belmont and they couldn't tell me where to find her either," she says.
"But somebody had to know her.
"So the next day I got the bus to Cardiff and tried again. I went to a hotel and some other places and showed them the paper with the story.
"The next day I went to Ford's Corner at Mount Hutton and talked to the op-shop ladies there and they told me they'd pass on my phone number if Michelle ever came in.
"But I needed to see her before then.
"I went to my friend's place at Belmont and we were having a cuppa when this friend of hers and his wife come in. Chris and Valerie. My friend Margaret was, like, 'Show them the paper Rose' and they said they'd see what they could do.
"That afternoon my phone rings and it's Chris and he says 'I've got some good news for you'. Anyway, we met up again at Margaret's that weekend and they were there and everyone's looking and me and grinning.
"I felt a bit stupid but then Chris said 'Here's that number you were after Rose!' and I could have fallen through the floor.
"It was hilarious."
Michelle visited Rose and left with two boxes full of blankets and doilies as well as the tablecloths hand-embroidered by Rose's sister Enid, which have since been transformed into a few pairs of very cute shorts.
"She even took with her some tea towels my Mum bought me in Wollongong for ten pence many years ago, to put in my glory box," Rose says.
"Everything was like new and Michelle said 'How could they be that old, they're in such good condition?' and I said 'Because I never used them. They're still in the box'. Now my friends are going through their cupboards and giving Michelle what they can."
