I love string quilts and appliques cut from string quilt strips or blocks. I have made some without a foundation of any kind, heavy starch and careful pressing, however I like to use a very thin fabric foundation which controls stretching and makes the strings more stable. I go to thrift stores and look for curtains made from very fine cotton, or the discount store for these fabrics. They are so thin you can hardly tell you have a foundation, but no tearing paper away (ugg), and I go ahead and use whatever batting and backing I wish.