Maria Bywa­ter is the design­er behind Hup​pahs​.com, the lead­ing nation­al wed­ding hup­pah rental com­pa­ny. She con­vert­ed to Judaism in her mid-20s, and while liv­ing in North Africa, the Per­sian Gulf, and Lon­don, she became inspired to explore Jew­ish cul­tures and tra­di­tions through nee­dle crafts. She lives in the Hud­son Val­ley and writes about Judaism and sewing on her blog, Sew​Jew​ish​.com.