Hummingbirds and Lavender

Holistic, Sustainable, Intentional

Botanical Dye 101

Bringing Nature’s Colors into Your Life

If you’ve ever wandered through a garden, admiring the colors of flowers and plants, you’ve probably noticed that nature is full of vibrant, earthy tones. What if you could capture some of that beauty and bring it into your home through fabric and textiles? Well, the world of natural dyeing opens the door to a more sustainable and creative way of adding color to your life—all while using plant-based materials!

Botanical dyeing, or natural dyeing, is the art of coloring fabric using plant materials, including flowers, leaves, roots, and even food scraps. It’s an ancient practice that has been used across cultures for thousands of years, but it’s making a modern comeback as people look for more eco-friendly alternatives to synthetic dyes.

In this post, we’ll introduce you to the basics of botanical dyeing, from choosing natural fibers to creating your own beautiful dyes using things you might already have in your kitchen or garden.

🌿 The Basics of Botanical Dyeing

Before we dive into the how-tos, let’s talk about what you’ll need to get started. Botanical dyeing works best with natural fibers, which are more receptive to plant-based dyes than synthetic materials. Here’s what you should know:

  • Natural Fibers:
    For the best results, use fibers like cotton, linen, wool, or silk. These materials are ideal because they contain proteins or cellulose that allow the dye to bond and set. Synthetic fibers, like polyester or nylon, don’t take on natural dyes as easily and often require harsh chemicals to set the color.
  • Dyeing Mordants:
    A mordant is a substance that helps the dye adhere to the fabric. While some plant dyes will work without mordants, using one can help your colors stay vibrant and last longer. Common mordants include alum, vinegar, or even iron. Be sure to follow instructions on how to prepare the mordant for your particular dyeing project.

🌸 What Can You Dye With?

One of the most magical parts of botanical dyeing is that so many everyday plants and food scraps can be used to create stunning colors. If you love the idea of upcycling, this is the perfect way to breathe new life into your kitchen scraps and garden clippings! Here are some common natural sources of dye:

  1. Flowers:
    Flowers can produce a wide range of colors, from soft pastels to deep hues. For example, marigolds create a beautiful yellow-orange shade, while lavender offers a delicate purple hue. Hibiscus flowers can give you a rich, reddish-pink, and chamomile will yield a soft yellow.
  2. Roots and Barks:
    The root systems of many plants contain vibrant pigments that can be used to dye fabric. Beetroot gives a lovely pink or red color, and turmeric (yes, the kitchen spice) can create a rich, golden yellow. Madder root produces a gorgeous red, and oak bark can be used to create earthy browns.
  3. Leaves:
    While leaves are often thought of as green, they can produce a range of colors when used in natural dyeing. Spinach can offer a soft green, while indigo leaves are used to create blue shades (the same leaves that are used to make indigo dye). Black walnut leaves and avocado pits can also give beautiful natural browns and pinks, respectively.
  4. Food Scraps:
    If you love reducing waste, food scraps can be a great source of natural dye. Onion skins—whether yellow or red—can yield rich orange and gold tones. Avocado pits can produce a warm pinkish color. And don’t toss your leftover coffee grounds—coffee can give a deep, earthy brown.
  5. Fruits and Vegetables:
    Many fruits and vegetables, when boiled, can produce fantastic dyeing materials. Blueberries create rich purples, blackberries offer blues and purples, while pomegranate skins give a lovely yellowish-gold. Carrot tops make for a unique greenish hue as well.

🍃 How to Dye with Botanicals: A Simple Guide

Ready to start your own botanical dyeing project? Here’s a simple, beginner-friendly guide to get you started:

1. Choose Your Fabric:

Begin by selecting your fabric. Natural fibers like cotton, linen, silk, or wool work best. Cut your fabric into manageable pieces, such as small swatches or old t-shirts, to experiment on.

2. Prepare the Fabric:

Pre-wash your fabric to remove any dirt, oils, or sizing that might prevent the dye from adhering properly. Some people also recommend soaking the fabric in a mordant before dyeing to ensure the colors set. The most common mordant is alum, but other options include vinegar or iron.

3. Prepare the Dye:

For each dyeing material, you’ll need to create a dye bath. Here’s how:

  • Chop your plant material into small pieces.
  • Fill a large pot with water (enough to submerge your fabric), and add your plant material.
  • Simmer the plant material for about 30-60 minutes. The longer you simmer, the deeper the color.
  • Strain out the plant material, leaving only the colored water.

Now you have your dye! Feel free to experiment with the dye strength—if you want a lighter color, simply dilute the dye with more water.

4. Dye the Fabric:

Submerge your fabric into the dye bath, making sure it’s fully saturated. Leave it to soak for 30 minutes or more. The longer it soaks, the more intense the color will be. After the fabric has reached the desired hue, rinse it in cool water until the water runs clear.

5. Dry Your Fabric:

Once the fabric has been dyed and rinsed, hang it to dry in a well-ventilated area. The color may lighten a bit as it dries, so keep that in mind when you’re choosing how long to let it sit in the dye bath.

🌿 Why Botanical Dyeing?

In a world full of synthetic fabrics and chemical-based dyes, botanical dyeing offers a sustainable and creative alternative. It’s a beautiful way to connect with nature, reduce waste, and explore your creativity—all while using resources that are often just a step away in your garden or kitchen.

By embracing botanical dyeing, you can create one-of-a-kind, eco-friendly fabrics that reflect your unique style, while supporting a healthier planet. So, grab your garden shears or your kitchen scraps, and let’s start experimenting with the colorful world of botanicals!

With love and natural color,

The Hidden Cost of Cute Clothes: Rethinking Fast Fashion

The True Cost of Fast Fashion: Why It Matters and How We Can Help Shift the Industry

If you’ve ever scooped up a cute $10 top and thought, How can this be so cheap?, you’re not alone. The appeal of fast fashion—trendy styles at lightning speed for rock-bottom prices—is hard to resist. But behind the colorful racks and overflowing shopping carts lies a much less attractive truth: fast fashion is taking a heavy toll on our planet, our communities, and even our sense of self-worth.

Let’s take a slow moment to explore what’s really going on—and how, together, we can help turn the tide toward a more sustainable, soul-aligned fashion industry.

What Is Fast Fashion, Anyway?

Fast fashion refers to the rapid production of low-cost clothing in response to ever-changing trends. It thrives on speed and volume—designs move from the runway to the store in a matter of weeks, encouraging shoppers to constantly refresh their wardrobes with new, inexpensive pieces.

But the price tag doesn’t reflect the true cost.

The Environmental Impact

The fashion industry is one of the most polluting industries in the world, second only to oil. Fast fashion is a big contributor, and here’s why:

  • Waste Overload: The average person buys 60% more clothing than they did 15 years ago—and keeps it for half as long. Most of it ends up in landfills, with the U.S. alone tossing out over 11 million tons of textile waste annually.
  • Water Use & Pollution: It can take over 2,000 gallons of water to produce a single pair of jeans. Dyeing and finishing fabrics also releases toxic chemicals into freshwater systems, harming aquatic life and nearby communities.
  • Microplastics: Many fast fashion pieces are made with synthetic fibers like polyester. When washed, these shed tiny microplastics that end up in oceans, harming marine life and entering the food chain.
  • Carbon Emissions: Fast fashion is responsible for about 10% of global carbon emissions, thanks to the energy used for production, global shipping, and the frequent replacement of cheaply made items.

The Human Cost

In addition to environmental damage, fast fashion often relies on exploitative labor practices. Garment workers—many of whom are women—are frequently underpaid, overworked, and exposed to unsafe conditions. The 2013 Rana Plaza factory collapse in Bangladesh, which killed over 1,100 workers, was a devastating wake-up call.

So, What Can We Do?

This can feel heavy—but here’s the hopeful part: change starts with awareness and small, intentional choices. We have more power than we realize.

1. Buy Less, Choose Well

Invest in fewer, higher-quality pieces made to last. Look for timeless styles in natural fibers like linen, cotton, wool, or hemp. When you buy something you truly love, you’re more likely to care for it and wear it again and again.

2. Support Slow + Sustainable Brands

Seek out brands that prioritize ethical sourcing, transparent labor practices, and eco-conscious materials. Many small, indie labels are leading the way in regenerative fashion—and your support helps them thrive.

3. Thrift, Swap & Upcycle

Secondhand doesn’t mean second-best. Shopping vintage or thrift is one of the most sustainable ways to enjoy fashion. Hosting clothing swaps with friends or upcycling worn items into something new can also be surprisingly joyful.

4. Care for What You Wear

Extend the life of your clothes by washing them gently, air-drying, and repairing when needed. Even simple acts like sewing on a button or patching a hole contribute to a less wasteful lifestyle.

5. Advocate for Change

Raise your voice. Follow and support fashion activists. Share what you learn. Pressure brands to do better by asking questions like “Who made my clothes?” Every conversation plants a seed.

A Final Thoughts

At Hummingbirds & Lavender, we believe in slowing down and reconnecting with what truly matters. Our clothing—just like our food, our homes, and our daily rituals—should support the well-being of both people and the planet.

So next time you feel the tug of a trendy impulse buy, pause. Breathe. Ask yourself: Do I really need this? Who made it? What story does it carry?

Because the clothes we wear are more than fabric. They’re part of our personal ecosystem—and we get to choose what kind of world we wrap ourselves in.

Slow Fashion 101

A gentle guide to dressing with intention, creativity, and care

Somewhere between the overflowing clearance bins and the constant churn of seasonal trends, many of us started craving something slower. More thoughtful. More personal. That’s where slow fashion comes in—and it’s not just a trend. It’s a mindset, a lifestyle, and in many ways, a quiet revolution.

At Hummingbirds & Lavender, we believe that what we wear tells a story—and we’re big fans of making that story one of creativity, sustainability, and self-expression. Whether you’re a seasoned thrifter or just starting to dip a toe into secondhand style, this Slow Fashion 101 is here to help you weave more intention into your wardrobe, one beautiful choice at a time.

🌿 What Is Slow Fashion?

Slow fashion is the opposite of fast fashion—it’s about buying less, choosing well, and making what we have last. Think quality over quantity, natural over synthetic, and timeless over trendy. It asks us to slow down and consider where our clothes come from, how they were made, and what happens when we’re done with them.

It’s about people. Planet. And personal style that evolves with us.

💫 Why It Matters

  • Environmental impact: The fashion industry is one of the most polluting in the world, with massive water usage, synthetic fibers that don’t break down, and dyes that pollute waterways.
  • Ethical concerns: Many fast fashion pieces are made under unsafe working conditions, often by underpaid workers.
  • Emotional clutter: Fast fashion feeds into impulse buying, overflowing closets, and garments that barely last a season.

Slow fashion, on the other hand, invites us to buy more mindfully, appreciate what we own, and reconnect with the joy of getting dressed.

🧺 Secondhand, Thrifted & Pre-Loved

One of the easiest and most affordable ways to embrace slow fashion? Secondhand shopping.

Thrift stores, consignment shops, vintage boutiques, online resellers, and even community swap events are treasure troves of quality, unique pieces. And let’s be honest—there’s something deeply satisfying about finding the perfect item tucked among the racks.

✨ Tips for Thrifting Like a Pro:

  1. Go in with a loose idea, not a strict list. Let inspiration lead!
  2. Check for quality construction. Look at seams, fabric content, and tags—natural fibers like cotton, wool, and linen last longer.
  3. Try things on—or hold them up. Sizing can be all over the place, especially with vintage.
  4. Be patient. Some trips are all about the hunt. Others are golden.

🌼 H&L Thought: Keep a little thrift “wish list” in your phone—maybe a cozy knit cardigan, a pair of lived-in Levi’s, or a linen dress for summer. That way, when you stumble upon something close, you’ll know.

🧵 Upcycling: Give New Life to Old Textiles

If you love a good DIY or feel drawn to more hands-on creativity, upcycling might be your love language. Whether it’s mending a torn seam with visible stitches (a nod to Japanese sashiko), turning an old bedsheet into a skirt, or embellishing a thrifted denim jacket, upcycling lets you transform what you already have into something fresh.

💡 Easy Ways to Start:

  • Turn vintage scarves into hair accessories or bandanas.
  • Cut worn-out tees into cleaning cloths or reusable gift wrap.
  • Make lavender sachets from fabric scraps.
  • Add patches or embroidery to jeans, jackets, or bags.
  • Refashion oversized dresses or shirts into skirts or crop tops.

You don’t need to be a pro sewer—just a bit of curiosity and willingness to experiment. YouTube, Pinterest, and your local craft collective can offer plenty of inspiration.

🛍️ Practical Ways to Embrace Slow Fashion in Everyday Life

You don’t have to overhaul your closet overnight to make an impact. Slow fashion is about small, meaningful shifts over time. Here’s how you can start weaving it into your everyday:

1. Do a closet refresh.

Before buying anything new, spend time with what you already have. Try on outfits, get creative with pairings, and make a list of what (if anything) you actually need.

2. Repair before you replace.

Got a button missing or a tiny tear? Grab a needle or find a local mender. Mending can be surprisingly meditative.

3. Host a clothing swap.

Invite a few friends over for tea, snacks, and a good old-fashioned closet clear-out. You never know what gems someone else is ready to part with.

4. Shop local and ethical when buying new.

If you do need to buy new, support small brands that prioritize sustainability, ethical production, and timeless design. It’s worth it.

5. Adopt a “one in, one out” rule.

When something new comes in, let something else go—to donation, a friend, or your upcycling pile.

🧡 Final Thoughts

Slow fashion isn’t about perfection—it’s about intention. It’s about building a relationship with your clothes, your community, and your planet. It’s choosing to opt out of the frenzy and opt into creativity, connection, and care.

There’s something powerful in knowing that your outfit tells a story—maybe it was thrifted with love, stitched by your own hands, or passed down from someone special. It’s fashion, yes, but it’s also a kind of soft rebellion, a way to say: I value quality, I care about the earth, and I don’t need fast to feel beautiful.

So here’s to slow mornings, linen dresses, and mended sleeves. Here’s to fashion that feels like you.

With love and vintage denim,

Embracing Eco-friendly Fashions for a Spring

In a rapidly changing world, the importance of adopting sustainable, environmentally beneficial practices is becoming increasingly more necessary for the continued survival of our way of life, as well as the planet. Sustainable fashion is the melding of eco-friendly materials, ethical treatment of its employees, and environmentally conscious manufacturing and distribution practices.

Sustainable Spring Fashion

Thrifting is more than just a hobby for me. It’s me doing my part in living more sustainably. With the shifts and closings of big named fabric stores, such as Joann’s, people are wondering what will happen to the home sewists and makers. Times are changing. The world is shifting away from mindless consumption and more focus is being put on sustainable practices and business models. There is a solution if you are willing to think outside the box, and that solution is shopping second hand.

Fast Fashion at a Glance

Fast fashion might be trendy and affordable, but its true cost runs much deeper. The industry is responsible for around 10% of global carbon emissions and uses a staggering 93 billion cubic meters of water annually—just one pair of jeans takes over 3,700 liters to produce. On top of that, 92 million tons of textile waste end up in landfills each year, fueling an endless cycle of consumption and disposal. Behind the seams, many garment workers—most of them women—earn as little as $32 per month, far from a living wage. With 93% of brands failing to pay fair wages, the fast fashion machine thrives on overproduction, environmental damage, and worker exploitation—making mindful, sustainable choices more important than ever.

3 Principles for Sustainable Fashion

Ethical Sourcing

The first, and in my opinion, the most important, is the sourcing of materials. A question to ask yourself when out shopping for wardrobe pieces can be, “Is this a sustainable fabric, such as organic cotton or other natural fabrics?”

Most synthetic fabrics—like polyester, nylon, and acrylic—are actually made from plastic, meaning they don’t break down naturally and can linger in the environment for hundreds of years. Every wash releases tiny microplastics into our water systems, which then make their way into oceans, harming marine life and even showing up in our food and drinking water. Shockingly, 35% of all microplastics in the ocean come from synthetic fabrics alone. So while these materials might be convenient and budget-friendly, their impact on the planet lasts far longer than the latest fashion trend.

Less is More

The second principle to remember is less is more. A capsule wardrobe is all about curating a closet with intention, choosing versatile, high-quality pieces that mix and match effortlessly. Instead of chasing trends, it focuses on timeless staples—classic silhouettes, neutral basics, and a few statement pieces that truly reflect your style. This approach makes getting dressed simpler and more joyful, while also cutting down on clutter and overconsumption. By investing in fewer but better pieces, you’re not only creating a wardrobe that works for your lifestyle but also making a more sustainable choice for the planet. It’s about embracing quality over quantity and feeling good in what you wear—without the constant pressure to keep up. ✨

Slow Fashion for the Win

As you refresh your wardrobe for spring, embracing the principles of slow fashion can help you shop more intentionally and sustainably. Slow fashion encourages choosing quality over quantity, opting for well-made, timeless pieces that will last beyond just one season. Instead of impulse-buying trendy items, focus on versatile staples—like airy linen tops, flowy dresses, and classic denim—that can be mixed and matched effortlessly. Shopping secondhand, supporting ethical brands, or simply restyling what you already own are all ways to reduce waste while still feeling fresh and renewed for the season. By slowing down and making more mindful choices, you create a wardrobe that not only looks good but also aligns with your values. 🌿✨

Eco-friendly Practices for Sustainable Spring Fashion

Embracing sustainable fashion doesn’t mean sacrificing style—it’s all about getting creative and making more mindful choices. Upcycling and thrifting are great ways to refresh your wardrobe while reducing textile waste, whether it’s by repurposing old clothing into something new or shopping secondhand to give pre-loved pieces a second life. Another way to make a difference is by supporting sustainable brands that prioritize ethical production and eco-friendly materials. Taking time to research and identify brands with transparent, responsible practices ensures that your purchases align with your values. If you’re feeling crafty, DIY fashion projects—like simple clothing alterations or customizations—offer a fun and personal way to refresh your wardrobe. Learning basic sewing skills and upcycling techniques can turn forgotten pieces into unique staples, proving that sustainability and style can go hand in hand. ✨♻️

The Future of Fashion is Green

As we welcome the refreshing energy of spring, it’s a beautiful moment to reflect on the significance of sustainable fashion. With each season, the impact of our fashion choices on the environment becomes more apparent, and spring offers the perfect opportunity to embrace eco-friendly practices.

By choosing thoughtfully crafted pieces, we can not only celebrate the season’s vibrant colors but also help reduce waste and support ethical production. I encourage you to explore ways to make mindful fashion choices—whether it’s swapping out fast fashion habits for timeless, durable pieces or supporting brands that prioritize sustainability.

The future of fashion is undeniably shifting toward a more conscious approach, and as we continue to embrace sustainability, we’ll see a positive ripple effect across the entire industry. Let’s be part of that change together!

Share your favorite sustainable fashion finds or styling tips in the comments, and let’s inspire each other to build a wardrobe that’s both beautiful and kind to the planet.

Thrifting: 5 Reasons Why You Should Shop Secondhand

Hey pollinators! Today I want to share one of my favorite life hacks with you…thrifting. I have been in the thrift game for as long as I can remember. From wandering the aisles of antique stores with my mom, admiring trinkets from a time that came and went, to digging through the bins of Goodwill, and restocking my babies’ wardrobes, I have spent many hours perusing through thrift store racks.

Over the last few years, I have noticed a big boom in thrift and secondhand popularity. And I’m here for it. I love that people are finding the joy in thrifting. Not only is it economically savvy, but it’s good for the planet, as well. Less demand for new stuff means less waste.

What is Thrifting?

The Merriam-Webster definition of thrifting is to shop for or buy used goods, especially at a store that specializes in secondhand merchandise. The popularity of thrifting has exploded in the past 20 years. Before that, thrifting was often looked at as taboo or counter-culture, reserved only for those who couldn’t afford to buy new. It often came with a stigma attached to it that society frowned upon. Maybe that’s why I love it so much. I have always been a bit of a rebel and any way I can crush the status quo is always my jam.

5 Reasons to Start Thrifting This Year

Below are a few reasons why secondhand shopping is beneficial not only to your wallet, but to the planet as well.

Sustainability and Environmental Impact

If you’ve bought new clothes in the past 15 years, you’ve definitely been a part of the global issue of fast fashion. Fast fashion is the practice of taking high fashion and trendy catwalk designs, and replicating them at a fraction of the cost, for maximum profit. They do this through the exploitation of their textile workers, using low-quality/low-cost material, and in often non-regulated and hazardous working conditions.
These fast fashion designers produce an estimated 92 million tons of textile waste per year according to 2024 statistics. Most of these garments are single-use pieces, made of polyester or other synthetic fabric, and end up in the landfill every year. If yall know anything about synthetic fabrics, you know that they are made up of microplastics, and plastic is not biodegradable. By choosing to shop second-hand, you are helping to keep these plastics out of the landfills where they will sit for years and leech chemicals into the soil.

Not only a major producer of global textile waste, fast fashion is the second largest consumer of accessible. According to the Garson and Shaw 2024 report, 20 trillion gallons of water will be saved in the next decade by consumers chopping second hand rather than buying brand new. (Garson and Shaw Report 2024).

Affordability

Compared to buying new, thrifting can be very beneficial to your bank account. There’s nothing quite like finding a designer wristlet for $8, or a quality Italian leather jacket for $25. These days a dollar doesn’t go as far as it used to, so when you can have quality for a fraction of the original price, why wouldn’t you shop secondhand?

For even more savings, find out when your local thrift store is having their sales and plan accordingly. My favorite local PTO thrift store has tag sales. For example, green tags are 75% off. It’s nice to get extra savings on top of an already good deal. I won’t say no to extra savings!

Unique and Vintage Finds

Thrifting offers the thrill of discovering one-of-a-kind treasures that can’t be found in mainstream stores, adding excitement to every shopping trip. It allows you to embrace your individuality and craft a unique style that reflects your personality. Plus, the timeless appeal of vintage pieces adds charm and character to your wardrobe, setting you apart with stories woven into every find.

Supporting Local Communities

Shopping secondhand supports local charities and small businesses, as many thrift stores are nonprofit organizations or locally owned shops that reinvest in the community. I love knowing that my money is going back into the local community and not some mega-cooperation. One of my favorite thrift stores is operated by the district PTO, and all the funds are put back into the local schools, which I absolutely love.
Also, these stores foster a community-focused environment, often providing jobs, funding for social programs, or resources for those in need. By choosing to thrift, you contribute to a positive economic impact that strengthens local neighborhoods and helps them thrive.

Promotes Minimalism and Mindful Shopping

Thrift shopping encourages a minimalist lifestyle by promoting thoughtful, intentional purchases rather than impulsive buying. It helps you focus on quality over quantity, curating a wardrobe or space with items that truly add value to your life. This practice of mindful shopping not only reduces clutter but also fosters a sense of purpose and satisfaction in the choices you make.

Get out and get thrifty!

Thrifting is more than just a way to save money—it’s a lifestyle choice that benefits the planet, your wallet, and your personal style. By embracing secondhand shopping, you can make a positive impact on the environment, support local communities, and uncover unique treasures that reflect your individuality. I hope I have inspired you to get out of your comfort zone and hit up your local thrift store. I’d love to hear your favorite thrifting stories, leave me a comment down below!