Funny, I just ran into a pattern using 1 1/2 in strips when sorting thru my mags.
It is in American Patchwork And Quilting by Better Homes and Gardens. Its called Scrap Happy and its in the issue for Oct. 2008.
Makes a 6 1/2 in block and uses the strips cut in different lengths around two strips of the same color. Kind of a log cabin but not quite.