It seems like you are mostly "starting from scratch" on this quilting adventure.
I am glad that I took a hand-piecing class. It convinced me that one can do a lot without a machine.
If the following is a repeat - sorry - I did a quick look to see if I had posted the following recently -
Jinny Beyer does a lot of hand piecing and quilting. I think she is currently around 78 years old.
Anyway - for hand piecing a top - a minimum supply list:
fabric
thread
needles - for hand piecing, I like sharps - John James brand - size 9 to 11. The 9's are bigger and the 11's are more "delicate'
Sometimes I just use a needle that I can get threaded - which might be an 8.
(Hand sewing needles - the smaller the number, the bigger the needle. Machine sewing needles - the larger the number, the "heftier" the needle. )
thimble - make sure it fits - one can flatten a round one into an ellipse, and it will stay on better
Scissors
Templates/pattern
Marking tool - I prefer "non-liquid" markers, such as a chalk pencil or a lead pencil
That is all many people used - way back when - and they did beautiful work.
For piecing, I prefer to use 75 or 80 size machine needle.
You will see that we have differing ideas about what we prefer to use.
I have a huge supply of cotton covered Dual Duty general purpose thread by Coats & Clark. My machines do fine with it. Many people do not care for it .I think if the thread rack says "general purpose", it will work for piecing. I have not noticed thread weights (like 40, 50, 60) on thread spools for quite a while .
Some info on thread weights:
https://www.superiorthreads.com/educ...ad-tex-meaning
For colors of thread- I used to think it had to match very closely - not so much anymore.
If buying only a few spools of thread now - I think white, dark gray (could also use that on black) , sort of a greenish gray, and maybe a light medium - I have learned that if I squint, almost any "medium" color will disappear on another "medium" color.