Student all sewn up after landing first solo exhibition

Former Garstang High School pupil Elizabeth Winstanley, who has just completed her studies in embroidery at Manchester Metropolitan University, was chosen as the winner following her degree show.

The 26-year-old will now be invited back to exhibit her colourful work at the Manchester Craft & Design Centre next year as the winner of the eighth annual Manchester Metropolitan graduate solo exhibition.

Elizabeth, who was born in Plymouth before moving to Garstang, has just completed a three-year course at the university and is due to graduate next month.

She said: “At the end of the degree course, the Manchester Design Centre gives an award for a solo exhibition the following year and that is what I have won.

“I was just shocked. I wasn’t expecting it. It is very nice to know what I am doing is good and that people who know what they are talking about are recognising that my work is good.”

The judges were wowed by Elizabeth’s screen printed acrylics and fibre optic installation, being particularly impressed by how she pushes the boundaries of embroidery.

Her solo exhibition at Manchester Craft & Design Centre will open in March next year.

It is not the only exhibition that Elizabeth has been selected for, as she is currently in London at the New Designers Show.

She was selected by the university to take part, and the event aims to bridge the gap between finishing university and finding a job, with many prospective employers viewing the work. Elizabeth, who currently lives in Manchester, hopes to one day live and work in London.

She said: “I am still on the hunt (for a job), but I might well go freelance or work for myself.

“My goal for the future is to move down to London.”