Jinny Beyer hand pieces her quilts (most of them, anyway). She probably includes instructions in her books. She finds it faster to push the fabric unto the needle rather than running the needle back and forth through the fabric. I saw her do this on tv and it was simply amazing how fast she could piece with this method.
When hand piecing, it's traditional to use only one thread. It seems counter-intuitive but if you use two threads, it is thought that over time they rub against each other and are more likely to break.