The World's Largest Embroidered Dress

About 150 Palestinian women in the West Bank town of Hebron have stitched what they believe is the world's largest embroidered dress which measures 32.6m (107ft) long and 18.1m (59.4ft) wide. (Do tell email me if your Guild has stitched anything larger.) They hope that it will promote an increase in demand for their handiwork. The BBC reports, 'Many women in the West Bank have turned to handicrafts for income since Israeli restrictions imposed after the second intifada caused the economy to decline. The Palestinian economy lost ground for the ninth year in a row in 2008, and unemployment rate now stands at 32%, according to a recent UN report. Economic decline was rooted in Israel's restrictions on the movement of people and goods, the erosion of the Palestinian productive base, the loss of some of the territory's most fertile land and natural resources to the Israeli barrier in the West Bank, and expanding settlement activities there, the report said. The Israeli government says the restrictions are essential to prevent Palestinian militants from entering Israel and attacking Israeli civilians.'