Hand sewing for Absolute Beginners

The assumption here is that you have never touched a needle, pin or thread in your life but want to start hand-sewing your new kit!

I'll try to be clear, and to put in everything required but I've been sewing a long time so PLEASE tell me what I've left out or not described properly!

NEEDLES: most needles sold for sewing have ridiculously tiny eyes and it makes it horribly difficult to get the thread through it. Unless you are recreating Elizabeth I's poshest frock's embroidery, then I wouldn't use the needles usually sold for hand sewing or found in Christmas Cracker or hotel-room sewing kits!
Go to a sewing shop, a craft shop, or John Lewis's sewing section and get a packet of larger needles which have sharp points and big eyes. Examples might be "tapestry sharps" (intended for embroidery with wool but hell, who cares!) or "darning needles".

THREAD: If you're going to the effort of hand-sewing your mid-C17th kit, then it makes sense to use linen thread if you can. I'll try and find some links to post for suppliers, as although you can buy it in the shops mentioned under 'Needles', it is very expensive that way and they usually don't sell a colour that goes with unbleached linen.

THREADING THE NEEDLE: Cut an inch off the thread's end to make it nice and even. Hold the thread in your left hand between thumb and forefinger. Hold those two to make a circle, as in the old "OK" sign, so that the thumb-nail and finger-nail are almost in the same plane, nearly touching. Position the thread so you can't actually see it.
Hold the needle in your right hand by the pointy end (I know all the technical terms, me...). Put the eye very near your left thumb/finger. Now slowly straighten out your thumb and forefinger, so they peel apart to reveal the flattened thread just appearig. Place the eye over that and continue to 'peel apart' your left thumb/ finger.
That should work. I'll post some photos when I can!
Once your needle is threaded, cut the other end off the reel. My Gran taught me that one should only ever have thread that is as long as from hand holding the threaded needle down to your elbow. Any longer and it tangles and knots. I've found that she was right... So, pull the free end of thread so that it lies alongside the thread coming from the reel; hold up the needle and cut it off at your elbow-level.

KNOTTING THE THREAD: There are a few ways to do this. I sometimes knot one end, just tying two single reef knots on top of each other and then trimming the end neatly. Other times I anchor the new thread by a backstitch or three, which I'll describe in another section on the actual sewing. Either is fine; really it's just that sometimes I prefer not to have a little hard lump on the wrong side of the sewing, maybe where it would rub on the inside of a collar, or where it would show up on fine needlework.

SINGLE OR DOUBLE THREAD: I usually use a single thread but sometimes for extra strength you may want to use a double thread - if you do, then don't be tempted to make it longer than hand-to-elbow, and it tangles a bit less if you knot each end separately rather than knotting both ends together. Thread can be amazingly spiral at times!
Ian has made a good point in a comment below:
"When you double thread, don't use twice the length and double it over, use two threads running the same way. Makes it harder to thread the needle, but the threads don't spiral up as the twists run in the same direction. Saw this tip in a thread guide from John Lewis!"

I would add that the thread doesn't spiral into a knotted tangle if you wax the thread by pulling it over a piece of beeswax first...

BACKSTITCH: this is two or three stitches made on the same spot through the same holes which serves to anchor the thread like a knot does but without the bump made by a knot. Use whichever you prefer.

STITCHING: in my opinion, almost everything can be made with only one stitch - running stitch.
Anchor your thread (see above for knot/ backstitch).
Push the needle through to the front of the material. Now put it in a short distance away and push it through to the back, pulling the thread through snug, but not so tight it puckers the fabric up. Now put the needle in a short distance from that and bring it through to the front.
Basically all you do is imagine a dotted line - if the needle is on top of the fabric, you move it along the dotted line and push it to the back; if it's at the back, you push it through to the front.