I think you should pick out your strip colors and sew the strips together. Then sew the end to make a tube and cut as wide of strips as you want. Then unsew each strip at a place. unsew the next strip one color off from that and lay it by the first strip. Then unsew the 2nd strip 2 colors off and place it by the original strip. proceed this way to get your design. If doing the side of the tree that is opposite start one color on top and proceed in the opposite direction to unsew and that should build the reverse design.I might even try this just for the intrigue of it.