Let me tell you the story behind my request, then maybe someone that has the insight to design something will help me out here.
I went in to pay a bill one day this past winter and the sun was shining brightly, but it was snowing outside. The lady and I were talking about it and I said to her...."When it rains and the sun is shining, we get rainbows. I wonder if we'll get a snowbow." We laughed about it and she still mentions it every month when I go in to pay my bill. She said they have had so much fun in the office laughing about that.
Well, I would love to make a small wall hanging for them to put there in the office of a SNOWBOW. Any ideas?
I've thought about a rainbow with snowmen at the ends like pots of gold.
I've thought about a rainbow arc made out of blues and/or blue prints with white.
Maybe something with snowflakes falling....I don't know.
I've thought about a lot of things, but just don't know where to begin in drawing out a design.
I know someone out there with a designers ability or program can come up with something for me.
Thanks,
Carol B

Great story, made me thing of a Bargello quilt, but more of a watercolor Bargello..... I can see it now... bright white on the top & bottom, in the middle ( snow bow) tonal colors in a fading arch out to the whites..... yeah, that'll be pretty.

I thought of a rainbow in snow colors (white and blue... I'm from Tucson where we have snow once every 10 years, so these are my generic snow colors), so maybe various shades of white, silver, and blue. I like the snowmen at the end. Or maybe a pile of snow balls (like a pile of gold).

What about an arch with snowflakes and snowballs in it and at the end have a snowman or two. I think the blue, gray and white colors would be great. The back ground fabric should be maybe a blue with white snowfalkes on it.

I'd do an arched rainbow, in rainbow colors, made out of appliqued snowflakes (like the kind we made in grade school)....light and airy, floating down with the sun shining up in one corner. The background could go from sunshine to snow, yellow to blue/white, top to bottom diagonally. (I may have to sketch that out for future development...thanks)

Background of blue, with maybe a tree line of mountain (depending on the area of the country you are in.
Top corner with yellow for the sun.
Streamers from the sun of snowflakes that are in different shades of the rainbow, each streamer a different color, but tone it from brights at the sun to pastels on the ground.
Then have the bottom be in a blender fashion of rainbow colors representing the snow in rainbow colors.

Just my first thought without a pencil and paper to actually draw it out.

Good luck.

When you do make it would love to see pics!

What about finding some Christmas fabric with just snowflakes falling on it as the background, then on the bottom get some white material with glitter on it for fallen snow (you could even stuff different areas for snowmounds).

Put a beautiful colored rainbow (maybe scatter with a couple of snowflakes) with at the end of it a pot of gold with snowman instead of leprechans. :D

We have snowbows here in the winter and they are a rainbow with the snow falling, so any of the above ideas sound great maybe a type of landscape at the bottom with snowmen and hills with a few trees and the rainbow above with snowflake quilting?

what about a white-on-white landscape (with a bare tree and a pine tree), and a azure blue sky - the kind you get on a crisp winter day that fades into cloud gray colors towards the top....

Add in a rainbow, but in slightly washed out (or transparent) colors.

For the quilting, quilt snowflakes all over the sky. The trees should also have that white covering they get after a fresh snowfall.

I like the idea of piled snow balls, maybe in different light snowflake prints(will be hard to find this time of year), and how about rainbow arc, coming off a few small snowflakes, possibly in fairyfrost golds, silvers, gray and white. With a winter scene back ground.

I love Lucy's design! It's exactly what I would have said.

These are all adorable ideas & it's so sweet of you to plan to do something like this!

What a creative group! WOW!

I can see snowflakes in rows of rainbow colors appliqued over a lovely winter (blue/grey/white scene) but I would keep the intensity of the colors low so they don't overpower.

Great ideas and all headed in the same direction just little adjustments in each

This rainbow brainstorming is fun on a humid day in May! We're all singing a rainbow along with you!!

I see a rainbow in pale pastels of colors, the usual rainbow order-- ROYGBIV-- arching from behind pine trees on the left down to a snowman on the right with a big pot of silver and gold stars in front of him. Maybe you could applique a representation of the building where you pay the bill behind him in the scene? Or maybe take a photo of the place, and use the photo transfer sheets to get that building in your quilt.

Then I would quilt it really wintery -- with low mares tail clouds, long swoopy tendrils of blowing wind, a few snowflakes flying, and maybe some tracks in the snow.

Please let us see what you end up doing.

Remember the Andy Williams' song? I am humming it now.

Red and yellow
and Pink and Green
Purple and orange and blue

I can sing a rainbow
Sing a rainbow
Sing a rainbow too

Listen with your eyes
Listen with your ears
And sing everything you see

I can sing a rainbow
Sing a rainbow
Sing along with me.

I saw a snowbow once, as a blizzard was leaving the spot I was. The sky was purplish-black, and the rainbow colors really stood out! It was crazy, have never seen another one.

Look what I ran across today....hmmmmm. Snowflakes instead of stars?
What do ya'll think?

http://www.piecemakers.com/products....istmas_Rainbow

Carol B

I love the idea of the pastel rainbow with pale pale blue and white snowflakes, some pine trees, maybe a little rabbit under a tree- no pots of gold or snowmen, just a beautiful quilt/wallhanging with the total meaning of snowbow. Thank you for the song - I can sing a rainbow, too! Edie

Besides making quilts I am an artist and could design a pattern for you. I have made quite a few designs of my own. Give me more info on what size you want it and will make the pattern.

Oh, that would be awesome. I wish I had the ability to do that. I can imagine things, just don't know how to execute it to paper. And all the ideas everyone has offered are so good! I want to make one of each idea. lol
I'm thinking something relatively small, from 18x18 up to 24x30". Doesn't have to be square, and if not, let the design determine the orientation.
This is going to be so much fun....it will be a wall hanging for them from all of us at the quilting board, and I will let them know that, too.
Thanks,
Carol B

i think i'd do all white on white, like the midst of a snowstorm, with a small village in darker greys/browns on the bottom....really small like they are far away...put them down in the left hand corner...

then i would use the sheers in the bridal/prom dress section of the regular fabric store for the rainbows...probabely have to fray check the edges...maybe take it from the top left of the quilt to the lower right bottom...and have a pot of sparkly white & silver snowballs & maybe some beads...

i went on line & got some an assortment of snowflake buttons from newark dressmakers supply for reasonable price, ...sort of scatter those around

i really like this...and i think it would make a great seasonal (as in i get to make four)

i guess for the buttons to show, it would have to have a really light blue/grey background..

i'm going to go sketch this right now...i really like the picture i'm getting...

amazing how you can find inspiration anywhere isn't it!!


wow, i like that

Neat suggestions! You ladies are so inspirational and creative!

Tone on tone whites/pale greys - you could incorporate icecicles comming off the end of the rainbow

You ladies are awesome!!
What fabulous ideas!
dljennings... I love, love love your vision!

Such neat ideas for a cool quilt on a hot day!! I like the thought of a snowy quilt on a warm day like today. I want to see what you come up with. It makes me want to make one too. I crochet, and could see thread crochet snowflakes in an arc in the sky.

I really liked the idea of a rainbow in muted colors, the white on white snowflake pattern for background, a tree, a snowman, eic. Everryone has great ideas, Post the wallhanging when you finish.

I like the pattern that ctack2 found. I think of making it a little wider & have a pile of snow balls on each end of the snowflakes. I do think that would represent a snowbow perfectly.

I found some sheer nylon organza with snow flakes on it with irridescent thread on the snowflakes or I guess silver, can't remember, last year. I covered a piece of turquoise fabric with the sheer and made a Christmas tree skirt for a friend for a small table top tree. I trimmed the skirt with a silver & white ribbon. It really turned out pretty and looked like fresh fallen snow on the turquoise background. maybe use something like that for a ground covering. Perhaps add a tree or two and make a snow scene with a mountain in the far background , coverred with snow. Very light wispy clouds in the sky and a rainbow arc of very pastel colors between the Mt. and the rest of the scene for the snow bow. I would think snow flakes falling from the sky. I think a perfect title could be "God Colors Cold Dreary Days" or "God's Colors Show Year 'Round" Just a thought. We want to see it!!.

Where did you find the organza? Sounds beautiful.
Carol B

I love the bargello idea. An abstract representation of a snowbow that would be appropriate for an office and could hang all year.

Carol, I found the organza at WalMart. Since it was seasonal, I don't know if you could still get any. However if you are near a Wal Mart that still carries fabric, you might be able to find some in the sheer fabrics section. I really liked the effect it gave to the Christmas tree skirt. I would be happy to share, but I only have very small scraps, not enough to even cover the bottom I don't think of the 18x18 size you mentioned. I will check and see, if I do, I'll pm you and let you know. I am currently in the process of "cleaning or straightening" out my sewing area, so don't count on me letting you know for a week or so. Gerbie

My first thought was a snowball quilt, maybe in rainbow colors, or a rainbow pieced in a block and set with them. I don't know.

I like this idea the best! I hope you'll post pictures when you've created the wallhanging.

According to my husband, there are areas in the world where it can indeed snow and there will be a rainbow showing. It's very rare but had occurred when the conditions are right and that they look like regular rainbows but with snow flakes coming down so go for it. That definitely would be beautiful. I personally have never seen one but he probably has when he was commuting to work for so many years.

How about making a rainbow in light blues and silver, even glittery white. God bless. Penny

you ladies have so many great ideas. i have one to offer also. how about an arch for the rainbow. one side the sun is shinning and the rain is falling with a rainbow in springy colors. we do see those rainbows in the spring. the other side of the rainbow could be done in light blues and grays for the rainbow with snowflakes falling and a snowman with snowballs on that end.. oh wait , on the spring side at the end of the rainbow have a small quilt. who says it has to be a pot of gold. and add the 2 sayings on the right side of the rainbow.

I love that idea and yes, it's perfect!

I think that a bargello inside of another quilt would be wonderful. you do the bargello in batiks of pale colors and you have white on the bottom and blue gray on the top with a sun in the corner and maybe a tree or two depending on the location you guys are in. I would also do snowflakes in applic like the post in the pics section (can't remember who posted it) but the snow flakes are done in the peoples name. that would be really personal to them and they would feel really appreciated. just my two cents. it will be beautiful whatever you decide to do.