Handsewn renaissance gamurra

This is my latest dress, a yellow gamurra for my 1480 re-enacting.
Because I have been asked, I'll state here that it cost me laround $30 to make, including the cost of the thread, dye, lacing rings etc which I actually had lying round anyway.
I estimate it cost me about 20 hours to sew, but it could have been much less than that if I had chosen a quicker seaming finish for the skirt.

It started live as 4.8 metres of light pink linen that I got for $4 a meter.
I dyed it in the bath tub with fiber reactive dyes.
I hand sew it using silk thread for the visible stitching, and cotton/polyester thread for everything else. I hope to get some linen thread fo sew with in the future.
Each piece was finished first, and them whip stitched together. I cannot document this method to 1480 italy due to the lact of serviving garments, but I can document it to the late 14th century (maybe the early 15th if I remember where I saw it) and the 16th century. It is a very strong method, and ensures I don't get lazy and sew a garment together and wear it without finishing the seams, which in this linen would cause horrible fraying.
It also makes a wonderful sleave join, as sleeves can be finished sepearatly to the bodice and sewn off and on as wanted (yes, they had tie on and lace on sleeves by this point, but they were still sewn as well).
My (construction) stitch lengths on the bodice were about 1mm appart, and on the skirt they were 3-4 mm appart (closer at the top). The hemming stitches were about 3-5 mm appart and I used both a hem and an overcast stitch for the hems. I find I have to work at not letting my whip stitches get too small!

The handsewing method I used was a very time consuming one (the most time consuming method I know) as each seam must be sewn three times (once on each side to hem the fabric, and once to sew it together) and none of the stitches are fast stitches like a running stitch where several stitches can be done at once.
I don't think this seam treatment would have been popular on skirts with as many long seams as this one did, because it is not necessary for them to be strong so the time could be spent doing something else. Evidence earlier and later shows that running stitch is the most likly stitch for skirt seams, and I knew that, I just don't like running stitch and this method forces me to finish my seam before I wear the garment.


This is intended to be of more a Venetian style thanFlorentine. It has a slightly higher waist and a lower neckline than my other 1480 dresses.
It is also laced closed rather than with a gap, and I have folded the pleats across the front to hide the slit. You can see a more detailed shot of this here [link]

I patterened the bodice just for this dress, and the skirt maths was some I had used before (on my pink cioppa), but I still had to redo the calculations as the fabric dimensions were different, and the waist was bigger (as the bodice closes and is higher) but the method was one I am very familiar with, and LOVE.

The skirt is 8 trapezoid panels sewn straight edge to slanty edge, and they are knife pleated to the bodice.

Everything I am wearing is handsewn and made by me with the exception of the hose and the shoes, which were both purchased.
The necklace is coral with metal beads, and can be seen here [link]
The lacing cord is this one here [link] and the camicia is this one here [link]

The sleeves are detachable, and so this can be worn with any of my sleeves.
When leaving the encampment I'll wear either a giornea or cioppa over, you can see some of the ones I have made so far here:
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You can see my period outfits with this dress here:


And a non-period one here: