Anyone with preconceptions of embroiderers' guild members as being strait-laced conservative women will be startled by the Kingston branch's latest venture.

For not only have members launched an exhibition of "naughty underwear" to demonstrate their creative skills but they are also part of a world record-breaking team of stitchers.

For it was just on the outskirts of the Royal borough in Hampton Court Palace that the seeds of a groundbreaking project to create the longest ever embroidery were sown.

Now Kingston residents can admire the guild members handywork, along with that of the 7,000 other men, women and children they got to take part.

Their work has gained its place in the Guinness Book of World records thanks to the stitching contributions of both amateur and expert embroiderers across the UK and Ireland, taking more than a year to complete. And at 605.55 metres it is longer than the height of the world's tallest building, the CN Tower in Toronto, which stands at 553.34m.

The work was the brainchild of Annette Collinge, the chairman of the South East East Region of the Embroiderers' Guild.

She and her colleagues, based at the guild headquarters in Hampton Court Palace, wanted to find a way to boost the organisation's profile and a record attempted seemed the perfect way.

She said: "It has been really excellent because people have used it in lots of unexpected ways."

The embroidery was completed in October 2004, when it entered the record books.

On Friday part of the embroidery went on display at Kingston Museum.

Visitors can also see the Kingston branch of the Embroiderers' Guild's underwear exhibition called Mother Wouldn't Like It Sew Wot!.

ksaines@london.newsquest.co.uk