I have used a stripe look (a brick pattern fabric) in sashing. I used cornerstones. I cut the fabric so the stipes were all going the long way of cut strip. So when the quilt was pieced because across stripes looked horizontal and the up down stripes were vertical with the cornerstones to break them up it looked kind of like lattice work. Hope this explanation makes sense.
I have also used stripes in inner borders and had them running the short way and that looked really good too. But again on the sides the stripes were horizontal and on the top and bottom they ran vertical. Think piano key border.