March 12, 2026
For more than half a century, Phoebe Toalson has been shaping fabric, color, and thread into works of art, one hand‑stitched seam at a time.
Phoebe’s quilting mastery has grown over decades of practice, patience, and precision. Now an independent living resident at The Landing in Lincoln, she sometimes displays her quilts in the community. Her work leaves a lasting impression. One piece, "Circle in the Sun," now hangs permanently in The Landing’s lower lobby, reflecting her lifelong craft.
A life of learning and adaptability
Phoebe’s life began in Hot Springs, Arkansas, during World War II. Her childhood took her to Teaneck, New Jersey, and later to Columbia, Missouri, where her father became head of pathology at the University of Missouri’s then-new medical school.
In Columbia, Phoebe pursued a degree in chemistry, becoming the only woman in her class. She later taught chemistry at her former high school, a role she enjoyed before embarking on a new chapter of her life.
It was in Columbia where she married her husband Larry, then a medical student. This fall, the couple will celebrate 65 years of marriage. Phoebe eventually transitioned into teaching algebra in Lincoln Public Schools, a role she found deeply fulfilling. She retired after 10 years, shortly before Larry retired as well.
Nebraska travels spark a new creative path
Although her mother had taught her embroidery, knitting, crocheting, and sewing, Phoebe didn’t fully appreciate quilting until she and Larry started exploring Nebraska in the late 1960s.
Visiting historic sod houses across the state, she found herself drawn to the simple, practical quilts crafted by early homesteaders. Many were made from old clothing, stitched together both out of necessity and creativity.
“I thought, 'Oh, I can do that,'” she recalled.
That curiosity led her to her first quilting class in 1970, taught by a neighbor just a mile away.
Students created a queen‑size quilt with 16 blocks: half pieced, half appliquéd. When they finished, the instructor told them, “Now you’ll be able to make anything.” Phoebe realized that was true. She was hooked.
Why every quilt is hand‑stitched
Though she no longer owns a sewing machine, Phoebe prefers to work entirely by hand. She called using a machine “torture.” She also never uses a quilting frame. Instead, she relies on careful basting so the quilt can sit comfortably in her lap.
Phoebe’s precision comes from two signature tools:
- Freezer paper for geometric shapes and crisp points
- Pellon 805 for appliqué motifs like flowers, animals, and decorative details
These methods help her maintain the exactness that people often admire. Today, Phoebe estimates she has created around 200 quilts, all stitched entirely by hand.
Life at The Landing
Phoebe and Larry decided to move to The Landing during the COVID-19 pandemic. With many people
postponing moves at the time, their application rose quickly, and they were able to relocate in about five months. They’ve now been residents for a little over five years.
“Everything just fell into place,” Phoebe said. “We felt supported from the start.”
Community life is active and, at times, centered on the arts. Phoebe has already mounted two displays of her quilts in The Landing’s shared areas and has given informal walk‑throughs for fellow residents. She enjoys the way the displays invite conversation, especially when people realize everything is stitched by hand.
“Folks come closer to see the points and ask how it was done,” she said. “I’ve been doing it a long time, it’s habit now, but I still enjoy the challenge.”
A closer look at her quilts
Across her many temporary displays at The Landing, Phoebe’s quilts have demonstrated the detail, symmetry, and precision she’s known for. From intricate appliqué pieces featuring flowers and birds to geometric designs built from hundreds of tiny shapes, her work blends technical mastery with thoughtful color choices.
'Circle in the Sun'
A dynamic study in circles and points, the quilt titled, "Circle in the Sun,” anchors one of The Landing’s gathering spaces. Each ring is built from sharply pieced wedges that radiate like sunbursts, then interlock across a grid so the circles “kiss” at their edges.
Phoebe achieved the crisp tips and smooth curves the same way she explains to neighbors by cutting and ironing hundreds of freezer‑paper templates before hand‑stitching every seam. The palette moves from russet and copper into teal and slate, so the quilt shifts from warm to cool as you step across the room.
It’s the piece that once prompted a former community director to ask if the community could keep it permanently. Phoebe donated it, and it hangs in the community's lower lobby near the art gallery.
'We Are Golden'
Created for Phoebe and Larry’s 50th anniversary, “We Are Golden” blends piecing and appliqué with a color story borrowed from their home, then built everything around that anchor.
One of the most prominent pieces on display draws heavily on the Arts and Crafts style of designer William Morris, whose work Phoebe deeply admires. This larger quilt features an ornate center panel framed by multiple borders of floral appliqué.
Its motifs include stylized flowers, sweeping leaves, and symmetrical botanical arrangements, reflecting the symmetry and movement for which Morris was known. Each appliqué piece is attached using her signature buttonhole stitch, and the color palette blends muted blues, reds, and earth tones.
Phoebe has long said that Morris’s designs taught her how colors “speak to one another,” and this quilt illustrates that lesson clearly.
A quilt made for her grandson
Among the pieces with personal meaning is a quilt Phoebe made with her grandson in mind. He lives with muscular dystrophy, and Phoebe speaks about him with deep affection. She often gravitates toward arts and crafts-era patterns and William Morris designs when creating something especially meaningful.
As seen in the top‑right corner of this photo, the quilt features layered appliqué, soft color transitions, and comforting motifs, all crafted with intention, precision, and love.
A daily practice rooted in joy
Phoebe quilts nearly every day, often while watching TV. Her fabric collection fits neatly into five shoeboxes in her apartment, a point she jokes about when describing her frugality.
But for Phoebe, quilting is more than making something beautiful: it’s something deeply satisfying.
“The pleasure is in the making,” she said, a reminder of something her daughter once said. It rings true each time she picks up a needle.
Today, her hand‑stitched work adds warmth, history, and artistry to The Landing. And for residents and visitors alike, her quilts offer a glimpse into a lifetime of creativity, precision, and care, one stitch at a time.
