Tertulias

In Spanish, tertulias are gatherings for meaningful, conscious conversations — the kind that intrigue, inspire, and bring people together.

Tertulias con Julia is the creative extension of those conversations: handmade, artisanal pieces crafted by Puerto Rican creator Gabriela López-Rodríguez.
Every design reflects a deep love for the archipelago and a commitment to caring for the environment. Upholstery fabrics once destined for the landfill are transformed into distinctive accessories and home décor. Through macramé knotting and thoughtful design, each piece becomes functional, expressive, and full of soul.

These are pieces that give you something to talk about.

HerStory

Gabriela’s background weaves together Biology, Neuroscience, Education, and Medicine — a scientific foundation that unexpectedly met her lifelong passions for art, nature, fashion, design, sewing, and DIY.

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit in March 2020, this combination of skills became a lifeline. With fabric stores closed and protective equipment scarce, she began upcycling 100% cotton sheets and string into hundreds of masks for the Puerto Rican community.
By April, a friend suggested that she open an online shop; what began as a simple macramé craft store on Etsy soon grew into something much larger.

That fall, another friend — working at a luxury furniture store — reached out with hundreds of discarded fabric swatches headed to the landfill. Discovering the scale of textile waste in the furniture industry opened Gabriela’s eyes: once companies accumulate over a ton of swatches, they must pay to have them removed as “trash.”
But waste doesn’t disappear — it displaces, pollutes, and harms communities.
That awareness sparked the mission behind Tertulias con Julia and continues to guide it today.

Now, four companies — two furniture stores, an outdoor curtain store, and an event décor business — contact Gabriela regularly to collect their discarded fabrics before they become waste.

Since 2021, Tertulias con Julia has been part of Feria Calle, Puerto Rico’s first sustainable collective, bringing together makers committed to community, creativity, and environmental consciousness. Feria Calle celebrates reusing, repurposing, recycling, upcycling, education, art, music, and agroecology.

Gabriela also teaches workshops that empower people with sewing, knotting, and creative problem-solving skills, helping them become more resourceful and connected to their materials. You might find Tertulias con Julia at pop-ups, schools, farms, or community events offering these hands-on experiences.

The Mission

• Show people that textile waste is a problem they can actively help solve

• Offer beautiful, useful pieces that express individuality and personal style

• Spark creativity and consciousness in others, encouraging them to transform their own world

• Unite creatives who reuse, reduce, recycle, and upcycle

• Reduce the tons of textile waste that reach Puerto Rican landfills

• Long term: establish a large-scale center in Puerto Rico dedicated to collection, transformation, manufacturing, training, retail, and wholesale distribution of upcycled goods

Why Choose Tertulias

You have many incredible upcyclers to support — and that’s something to celebrate. We are part of a growing, necessary collective of makers working toward a cleaner, more conscious world. Tertulias con Julia doesn’t exist in competition with them, but in community with everyone transforming waste into possibility.

What makes this space special is the combination of heart, heritage, and intention behind every piece:

• A personal connection to every material
Gabriela collects each textile herself, often directly from the companies that would otherwise send it to the landfill. Every piece begins with a rescue.

• Thoughtful, small-batch craftsmanship
Each item is handmade, slow-made, and designed to have meaning — not just utility. No two pieces are the same, because the fabric’s second life shapes the design.

• Science, art, and storytelling intertwined
Her background in science and love for design come together in a way that’s precise, curious, and deeply human. Every product carries knowledge, purpose, and playfulness.

• Rooted in Puerto Rico, committed to community
Your purchase supports local sustainability efforts, educational workshops, and a network of creatives working toward a more circular future.

• Made to spark conversation
Just like a tertulia, these pieces invite you to share the story behind them — where they came from, what they were, and what they’ve become.

Choosing Tertulias means choosing thoughtful design, sustainability with sincerity, and a piece that reflects your values and your style.
It means joining a movement — one conversation, one creation, one rescued textile at a time.