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The following should make the definition of an improper string clear without dragging you through needless details:

Relieved of the need to call filterStringOut() the requirement test functions become shorter and their names are much simpler. I've also put everything they're dependant on in their parameter list to make it easier to understand them without looking inside.

I think you'll find any of these more readable than nested for loops. Combined with the if's and you were starting to have a real arrow anti-pattern. I think the lesson here is that tiny functions are a good thing.

The following should make the definition of a reject string clear without dragging you through needless details:

Relieved of the need to call filterStringOut() the requirement test functions become shorter and their names are much simpler. I've also put everything they're dependent on in their parameter list to make it easier to understand them without looking inside.

I think you'll find any of these more readable than nested for loops. Those, combined with the if's, were starting to give you a real arrow anti-pattern. I think the lesson here is that tiny functions are a good thing.

void ParsingTools::filterStrings(QStringList &sl)
{
    for (int i=0; i<sl.length(); i++) {
        QString s = sl.at(i);
        if( isRejectString(s) ) {
            filterStringOut(i);
        }
    }
}

void ParsingTools::filterStrings(QStringList &sl)
{
    for (int i=0; i<sl.length(); i++) {
        QString s = sl.at(i);
        if ( isRejectString(s) ) {
            filterStringOut(i);
        }
    }
}

void ParsingTools::filterStrings(QStringList &sl)
{
    for (int i=0; i<sl.length(); i++) {
        QString s = sl.at(i);
        if( isImproperString(s) ) {
            filterStringOut(i);
        }
    }
}

bool isImproperString(QString s) {
    return isImproperLength(s, m_Length) 
        || sansRequiredSubstring(s, m_Include)
        || hasForbiddenSubstring(s, m_Exclude)
    ;
}

bool isImproperLength(QString s, int length) {
    return ( s.length() != length );
}

bool sansRequiredSubstring(QString s, QStringList &include) {
    for (int j=0; j<include.length(); j++) {
        QString requiredSubstring = include.at(j);
        if ( !s.contains(requiredSubstring) ) { 
            return true; 
        }
    }
    return false;
}

bool hasForbiddenSubstring(QString s, QStringList &exclude) {
    for (int j=0; j<exclude.length(); j++) {
    QString forbiddenSubstring = exclude.at(j);
        if ( s.contains(forbiddenSubstring) ) { 
            return true; 
        }
    }
    return false;
}

void ParsingTools::filterStrings(QStringList &sl)
{
    for (int i=0; i<sl.length(); i++) {
        QString s = sl.at(i);
        if( isRejectString(s) ) {
            filterStringOut(i);
        }
    }
}

bool isRejectString(QString s) {
    return isDifferentLength(s, m_Length) 
        || sansRequiredSubstring(s, m_Include)
        || hasForbiddenSubstring(s, m_Exclude)
    ;
}

bool isDifferentLength(QString s, int length) {
    return ( s.length() != length );
}

bool sansRequiredSubstring(QString s, QStringList &include) {
    for (int j=0; j<include.length(); j++) {
        QString requiredSubstring = include.at(j);
        if ( !s.contains(requiredSubstring) ) { 
            return true; 
        }
    }
    return false;
}

bool hasForbiddenSubstring(QString s, QStringList &exclude) {
    for (int j=0; j<exclude.length(); j++) {
    QString forbiddenSubstring = exclude.at(j);
        if ( s.contains(forbiddenSubstring) ) { 
            return true; 
        }
    }
    return false;
}