Muslin or old sheet foundation squares are easier for arthritic hands than tearing off any kind of paper (at least for mine!). I love these quilts - your strips don't even have to be straight (or your seams!), and you can put it away for years if you'd like, then pick it up and just get going again. I like either white or dark strips for the center. You can arrange the blocks in diamond or zig-zag patterns. These are fun!