Nora - I stitched alternating strips of variegated with coordinating solids. The outside variegated strips were ... stockinette(? is that the one that's knit one row, purl one row?), with the others being a basic eyelet pattern. The solid strips included a basketweave, chevron, diamond, something else, and a 6/8 cable (repeated three times). The variegated was Patons' Chunky Shetland in Denim (shades of blue and purple). The solids were a mauvey-purple, dark purple, light denim tweed, dark blue, and the cable was done in a silvery-gray. The thread used to stitch them together is black and I'm using that for the border as well.
I've learned a lot from doing this one and plan to apply some of those lessons to the next one (the yarn for which I already have as we're headed out Monday morning for a five week road trip). For one thing, I'm using smaller needles. For another, I'm doing narrower strips. And I'm going to experiment with the Seed stitch for edging (two rows at beginning and end and two stitches on each side) on all the strips. Some of the edges on this one seem kind of ... flimsy (for want of a better term). I'm also going to experiment with a different method of joining the strips. I hate the sewing method and it looks messy to me. Plus I found the easiest way in which to perform it was with the strips laid out on the table; thus I was bent over the table doing the sewing. NOT comfortable!
Enough nattering on. Thanks, all, for listening and your great comments on the Mommyghan.