Diana came over and provided one on one serger lesson for me. She was really patient and showed me the very basics of getting going with my serger - how to thread, some interesting tools and tricks specific to my machine - things I need to know to even begin to play around with this complicated AF machine. Full confession: this is a second review, the first one was immediately after taking a class and I was extremely disappointed - I felt like the class wasn't organized or efficient with time and I left not knowing anything more than when I started. But Diana reached out to me directly and came to my house and provided 1.5hr personal lesson, which I tremendously appreciated. After talking with her, it sounds like that class was really challenging for many reasons and I respect that there are situations out of your control, like the class dynamic and when people show up with weird machines you're not familiar with. I greatly appreciated her reaching out to me - I'm so used to getting burnt by things like that, that it didn't even occur to me to reach out about the negative experience! At the end of the day, all I wanted was to be able to load the d*mn machine and to serge a corner. That being said, I realized that moving forward, spending the extra $$ for a one on one might be a better choice for me in the future - with a baby, a full-time job and often very specific needs/questions re: sewing/serging, this hour+ together was way more helpful and manageable than a class. Ultimately, I found Diana to be very approachable, easy to work with, and very patient. read more

Took the 3 hour Intro to the Machine class and it was awesome. I was nervous & knew basically nothing about seeing. Diana was so patient, warm & her teaching style is very accessible. I learned all about my machine and don't feel intimidated by it anymore. Highly recommend her classes! read more

I am a beginner and took a class that went over different seams like french seam, under stitching, flat fell, etc. and found Diana to be very patient. Her style of teaching is laid back and easy for a beginner to follow and understand. She demonstrated the process for the different seams and the specifics like why we might use them then let us try our hand at them on our own machines. The class length was just the right amount of time as well to get the course material done but also time for questions. I also picked up some sewing tips like a quick fix to a jam and pressing techniques. Prior to class she was great with communication via email and included parking information as well as materials list. I really appreciated the class, the instruction style and highly recommend her to others. read more

I have taken two classes from Diana. When I first got my sewing machine I went and took the basics class to better understand it. About a year later I took the seeing with patterns 101 class and I was very happy with the results. Diana sends you an email with suggestions before the class, but since I already had a project in mind, I went with what I wanted anyway, knowing it'd be about more time consuming. It's true that there were people at different levels in the class, and Diana often had to move through the space helping here and there, but I didn't find I was waiting with nothing to do too often. I plan on taking more classes here. read more

Got a sewing machine for Christmas because I wanted to be able to do alterations of my own for a change. Took Diana's Ins and Outs of Commercial Patterns-Level I where I got acquainted with my machine and the tools by making my own skirt. Sewing makes me feel really, really, really dumb. Seriously. My ego deflated every time I went to class, but that's not Diana's fault. I think she did get a little peeved with me a few times, but she didn't really show it. And I don't blame her. I required a lot of hand-holding, and I couldn't even iron properly. But the good news!!! I finished the skirt with an additional lab. I also bought another lab to get some help with alterations. The skirt's hecka cute and I wear it often, though I have to restich some of the yoke because it's already coming apart. :( The last class I bought, the Hemmings and Alterations one, was cancelled because not enough people signed up. Diana doesn't do refunds, so we tried to find another class for me to take. It never worked out. I was going through finals week, and then I got a 102 degree fever, so I was never able to make up the class. I'm vaguely annoyed, but what can you do. (UPDATE: A few weeks after I posted this review, Diana replied to my last email and ended up reimbursing half the cost of the class, which is totally reasonable. It took here a while to get to it, and it may have been in reaction to this review, but hey, she did it, and that's great.) All in all, I'm grateful for Diana's intro to sewing. I love the skirt I made. Unfortunately, I don't feel like I can do much on my own without further training. Other things you might want to know: She can provide sewing machines at an additional cost if you need them. She has a cat, so I wouldn't go if you are allergic. Never had to park more than a block away. And she'll give you her address when you purchase a class. read more

If you want to get into sewing or doing your own alterations but have no idea where to begin, you should absolutely take a class with Diana! I took the Intro to the Machine course. Diana has a variety of machines and demonstrates on each of them, pointing out differences and similarities. She taught a few different stitches, and general basics to get started on a sewing machine. You don't come away with a finished product with this class, but I am much more confident in looking at machines and knowing which features I want. I signed up for the class through her website and feel that I absolutely got my money's worth. I appreciated the cozy and relaxed space. I took her class after work, so it was nice to be in a stress-free atmosphere with a super social cat hanging out. Looking forward to taking more classes! read more

I can't express enough, how great the beginners class was. I found a deal for the beginners class on Living Social and got a GREAT deal! Cons: small studio Pros: Hands on learning. Awesome instructor (she was so great and knowledgeable; super friendly and taught so much in a span of 3 hours) I was utterly impressed with how much knowledge I gained in a short period of time. I would definitely recommend Better Living Through Sewing! Can't wait to sign up for her alterations course! read more

Me: I've always wanted to learn to sew. As a teenager, I made skirts and stuff by hand that required safety pins and such to keep held together/on. I inherited a family sewing machine and was afraid to touch it being sure I would break it. That is until i found Better Living through Sewing! The Shop/Class: I signed up for the Intro to the machine class. The shop and size of the class was small, intimate, casual, fun, hands-on, and supportive. I learned about the basic parts of a sewing machine, how to thread it, create a basic clothing stitch, finishing stitch, and the stitch we used to make our pillows. Also, received great tips on pressing, how to choose fabric, and great resources for further learning. The Instructor: As everyone else has said, Diana is amazing. I am a very book oriented learner so absorbing the material and actual sewing were a challenge for me. That said, Diana is patient, thorough in her explanations, clear, and encouraging. The Project/Materials: You are able to use one of the shop's sewing machines for an extra ($5). The project we made was a pillow and it was very exciting to take something home! I was instructed to bring 1/2 yard of non-stretch material and thread to match. Bring a material that you will want to see a finished project in. Tips: 1. Bring the manual for your sewing machine. 2. If you are less of a tactile learner like myself, it would have been helpful to look up some sewing machine basic terminology so I wasn't worried about taking so many notes. 3. Bring a pen and paper for notes- Diana's knowledge can't all be found in books! 4.Be patient with yourself. I will be practicing until I am ready for my next class!! read more

Diana's introductory class is invaluable! I wasted several hours poring over the instruction manual trying to figure out the most simple steps (threading the machine and winding the bobbin), but I should have just signed up for Diana's intro class in the very beginning! I will be taking more of Diana's classes in the future. She's a great instructor. read more

Diana is great--patient, easy to ask questions of, and fun. She handled a number of different personality types in her studio very well, and everyone had a great time and learned a ton. I'll be back for other classes--if you're thinking about it, take the plunge! Just a few hours later, I'm a much more capable sewer, and I made a pillow, too. :) read more

I had a really great time recently taking Diana's class in copying a garment. She creates a very nice environment - we listened to a lot of French music! She is very nimble at jumping around and helping the different students on their projects. The classes, I think, are a good deal for the $, and here's why. If you're a hobby-ist seamstress like I am and not super expert, and you want to make something that's actually going to fit and that you're going to wear, you need some help. Just following a pattern is not going to get you there most times. I could make a bunch of stuff at home by myself and it won't see the light of day. If I make it with Diana's help, I'll be happier with it. Also, her classes seem to attract nice and smart people that don't mind interacting and encouraging one another. As I said, a nice and welcoming environment. read more

Update: she issued my refund. I will advise her to be more proactive in sending out confirmations and info about cat. This business is a fraud. I signed up and did not get a confirmation or address until the night before scheduled class. I cancelled because everything about the business is just too sketchy for me and she told me she have cats ( i have serious allergies). I don't know why she's hiding her address and information until the day of. She won't refund my money stating that her policy states that i can only get refund if I cancelled 7 days to the class. Mind you, i have no contact info or confirmation for class until the night before. I know it's just $55 but that's my money and you should not get paid for doing absolutely nothing. I'm going to sue if she doesn't refund my money. Do not patronize this business.. it's a fraud!! read more

I feel so fortunate to have found Diana! As another reviewer stated, "Diana is an Oakland treasure". Her funky space is super easy to get to, comfortable (and she is just a wealth of sewing knowledge and patience). I have taken 2 private lessons from her, one of them was basically to get me organized and thinking in real-terms about a big project I am hoping to accomplish - working with a variety of vintage fabrics, different fabric contents, conditions & how to deal with all of that, how to cut, plan, what tools I'll need, etc. I'd never have really started the project without her and am immensely appreciative. I've learned so much about fabrics, threads and tricks-of-the-trade. Now I have my 'homework' and look forward to another session with Diana and hopefully join a class in the future. Sew on! read more

i've always wanted to take a sewing class. I'm glad that among other choices that I considered, this is the one that I went. I took the Ins and Out of a Commercial Pattern. I started the class with little knowledge of this craft and after the four sessions, I am more confident to tackle new projects. I am definitely taking another class at BLTS. read more

Yup, I'm echoing the reverence for Diana (and the friendliest cat in the world who shares the studio). Patient - yes! Clear explanations - yes! Easy to find location - yes! Confidence builder - yes! Now for those looking for a formal space this may not be your cup of tea since the studio doubles as her apt. But don't let that deter you. You're going for great instruction and you'll get that. Plus, she has a great sense of humor and helps you keep yours - even when you're mummified in paper tape! I'll definitely go back. read more

Try as I might, I simply don't have a natural aptitude for sewing. I am very glad to have found Better Living Through Sewing. Diana has managed to get me to a place where I feel confident with my machine, remember helpful tricks, and am comfortable with all the elements of sewing from a pattern. I now feel excited to cut and sew, and I have a lot of tools to construct a project in the most efficient way. She's a fun, patient, instructor. She's extremely knowledgeable and, has a knack for simplifying instructions and communicating them in a way that makes sense to each student. I just finished The Ins and Outs of Commercial Patterns class. I now have a lovely skirt , and am excited to tackle more patterns. I highly recommend this class. I will absolutely be back at BLTS for the Fit & Alterations and Pattern from a Garment classes. read more

I had a great time in this class! I've been experimenting with sewing and learning mainly through youtube videos. I've been having trouble sewing in a straight line. I decided to take a class to get a refresher and wowee, this was sooo helpful! She taught a bunch of helpful techniques: went through how to remove your footer, your needle, curved lines, corner lines, straight lines, etc. and taught me so much about my machine. I will definitely be going back (although not for some time due to personal responsibilities I need to take care of first). I highly recommend her for folks who are new to sewing in the bay area. Although there are plenty of different sewing classes nearby, I believe this one is fairly priced. read more

Wow! If i could give her 10 stars i would. Excellent beginners class. I learned everything about my sewing machine. We had a pretty big class but she gave ALL OF US attention with Setting up our machines and a myriad of sewing procedures to get us started. I cant wait to take her next class. read more

Took Diana's Basic's 3-hr class and felt like I learned something useful every few minutes, which says a lot about the benefits of her approach! read more

Does this place still exist. Have left numerous v-mails and e-mails and no response or acknowledgement about availability of a certain class. RUDE!! No follow through on e-mails or phone calls. Rather strange or this place/person doesn't need the business. But I'll try to hope that maybe lots on their plate, but not good sign of customer service. Has this place CLOSED? Too bad, I like to support local, small businesses. They offer classes, but I don't think they really exist??? About 4 months ago I contacted Diana and I was told that she would provide me with her availability...then I responded to her that I could do all times offered. She then responded to me and stated that she was no longer available on the dates she just offered. She never responded to my last query asking for a set of new dates. Perplexed at how she has received 5-star ratings with such poor customer service or follow through??? But, again, I've learned one has to take Yelp with a "grain of salt". read more

Diana is an awesome sewing teacher. Not having any sewing background, I was frustrated that a pattern labeled "easy" seemed to be written in another language. Diana helped me decipher how many steps were truly involved in seemingly simple instructions. I was unable to make some of the class times in the short series I signed up for, but she gladly accomodated private lessons! She is skilled, patient, and totally unpretentious. read more

I learned how to sew by taking the introduction class! :) Diana has taught a lot of people to sew and has tons of experience teaching beginners to sew. I can sew all kinds of things now on my own after the intro class. Be warned that there's a cat and I didnt think I was that allergic, but it got to me. Diana did an amazing job cleaning/vacuuming before I came, but I took some claritin to supplement that and it was a lot better. Highly recommended! read more

After my daughter was born I really wanted to be able to make her clothes, but had no idea how. I had zero experience with a sewing machine before taking Diana's 1 day pillow making course, and then her Ins-and-Outs of Commercial Patterns class. Diana was great -- she broke things down in a very easy to follow manner and clearly has a deep knowledge of sewing and pattern making. After completing the pattern class, I've been able to make a whole bunch of dresses for my little girl, and am now working on a Halloween costume. I will definitely take another class with Diana and highly recommend her. read more

I've always had bad experiences with sewing machines to the tune of buying 2 or three in my lifetime and all jamming and destroying my projects and enthusiasm through the years. Diana is an amazing, patient, easy to follow and understand teacher who takes the time to explain every part of the machine simply while you go through the process with either a machine she provides or your own. She completely demystifies the machine and sewing and makes it so easy you come out of the class excited, having sewn a few samples, and ready to start new projects without fear. She answers all questions, gives individual attention, and guides you through the entire learning experience while letting you do all the steps on your own. Especially beneficial if you learn best hands on so that you're not trying to remember what an instructor explained and instead have the memory of actually doing it yourself. I would highly recommend this class and Diana as a teacher. I'm excited for my next class and ready to hem my new pants. read more

I took several one on one lessons from Diana about three years ago. I wanted help with pattern adjustment for upper body. I did not find that she had the knowledge to assist me with this level of detail. But, she is certainly capable of basic sewing and technique and could be very helpful to beginners. I think I bought a package of four classes, but decided to skip the last one because it did not suit my needs. read more

This is long overdue, but I absolutely loved this class!!! Diane is an amazing instructor. I got a pass for the beginners class via livingsocial. She taught us about the machine, how to get started, some common mitakes ppl make, and like 4 or 5 different stiches., and the button hole. Awesome class! My only neg comments are on the size of the work space; it was pretty tight in there. Otherwise parking was easy (Sunday class) and i learned a lot! Thank you Diane i'll be back for pattern classes soon! read more

Diana is an Oakland treasure. I took her sewing class level 1. I've tried to learn to sew many times throughout my life, then re-forgotten all the details again, I am not sure why I keep persisting because I find the process frustrating. I thought that now I am older and wiser and more chill I might be able to handle it a bit better, but it turns out it still frustrates me, I am just not very good at it. I have patience for some things in my life, but apparently sewing is not one of them. Thank goodness for Diana who is a vessel of Sewing-Zen and whose level-headed aura calms the chaos. She is able to work her room full of students expertly, jumping from one question to the next, helping each person in ordered rotation at the same time managing each student frustration one at a time whilst teaching us all and empowering us to sew actual things we can wear. I would definitely take a future class with Better Living Through Sewing. read more

Great beginners sewing class! I feel confident that i can sew now and set up my machine the right way. I hope to take more classes soon.

Loved Diana's class last night! Would definitely go again. She is so helpful and knew exactly what to do with everybody's different projects. Thanks Diana! It was fun! read more

Such a helpful intro to sewing! I didn't know ANYTHING before going to the class and left feeling like I could start a project. (granted, I didn't actually go out and start a project, but that's not actually her fault.) Looking forward to returning soon! read more

I took a beginner class here this month and I was really impressed. Diana's small studio has a very casual, low-key atmosphere, but she is very professional and knows how to teach. Fabric unravels at the sight of me, and she managed to teach me how to sew a pillow. read more

Diana is the best. She's knowledgeable, accommodating and professional. Her prices are very reasonable and because of her down-to-earth, patient personality, she provides a comfortable, relaxed environment to learn in. I highly recommend taking a class with her! read more

Diana is a great teacher! She is extremely knowledgeable, patient, professional, and funny. I've taken a number of classes and private lessons from Diana. She's guided me through basic sewing to more advanced techniques like alterations and creating custom patterns. She's great at coming up with ideas to help with your projects. I've made custom fitted pants, dresses, and skirts with her and I would definitely recommend Diana to teach you any type of sewing skills you are interested in. read more

My 11-year old daughter took sewing lessons a few months ago and made a skirt. She loves pink and made something she still wears. We bought the pattern, material, and the notions. Diana was very patient and explained things thoroughly. Now she bugs me to go to the fabric store and is always looking at the fabrics saying what she'd like to make with it. It inspired me to start sewing, something I haven't done in years. I am hoping that if my class schedules allow to take one of her classes myself. Try it you'll like it. - Caroline read more

I feel so lucky to have found Diana! She is the perfect teacher. She's cool and hip and SUPER knowledgeable. I took the in's and outs of commercial patterns class and I can't believe how great my first attempt at a skirt came out. It truly looks professional. I can't wait to take more classes, including private classes. It's great that she offers the studio nights so that you can bring in a current project and get help with it. read more

I recently found this business online and was SO glad I took the time to sign up. Diana was very knowledgeable and taught the class in such a way that anyone who didn't even know what a sewing machine was or had never seen a needle before could comprehend. I am looking forward to taking other courses. I just wish there were more of her to go around so she could offer more times and days that I am available. Others who have seen my work want me to make them a skirt too, but I tell them they need to go learn for themselves. I'm busy applying what I've learned to my next skirt: same pattern, different print. I'll have one for every day of the week soon! I definitely recommend this class!!! read more

Better Living Through Sewing - A-lined skirt by Era J - Specialty Schools Near Me - Oakland, California

Awesome classes! Diana is a wonderful teacher. The classes are fun, engaging, and she is very patient and kind. I am so glad I found this studio. I highly recommend her classes for complete newbies as well as experienced sewers looking to fine tune specific skills or get advice on projects. read more

Just took the Introductory to Sewing Class with Diana. It was great and fun. She was patient, encouraging and knowledgeable. I left feeling I could begin to use my new sewing machine. read more

Before I went to Diana for help with getting better at sewing, I could cobble stuff together but it didn't have that "finishing touch" that made my garments look like they were not handmade. Diana showed me the industry tips and tricks that only a professional would know, as well as how to decipher those ridiculously confusing patterns, and now the garments I make (both costumes for my performances and regular street wear) look sharp and fit way better. Lessons with her are not just pleasant, but actually fun, due to her easy going nature, but she maintains professionalism and focus throughout. If you want to end the frustration and really learn how to sew, I highly recommend Diana and Better Living Through Sewing! read more

My love for fabrics made me take a beginning class from Diana, and now a sewer has been born! I took a class earlier this year and now I am sewing a skirt a week - almost. Diana said I needed to practice....The class was small, intimate and I believe I got the individual attention that my poor sewing skills really needed. Like others have mentioned, Diana was patient, funny and very knowledgeable and yes, the kitty that comes out and sits on your chair or on your machine is very sweet (but the cat usually stays in the back, especially if you are allergic). I highly recommend Diana's classes. Laid back, easy to follow, lots of sewing opportunity and one-on-one with the instructor. read more