I did a quilt last year that was a Bear Paw with dark solids and prints using the same color as the solid. I used a white-on-white fabric for sashing between the Bear Paw blocks and didn't really like it. Too much of a stark contrast, I think. But I quilted it with thread that matched the Bear Paws and that toned down the contrast. I was happy with the end result. Although I think your white sashing is kind of "washed out" looking, the color of your quilting thread can make a huge difference. I also like the 16 or 24 block suggestions.