On Friday, June 20, 2025, eight crafters gathered for CAA Craft Night. This is the second Craft Night that CAA has organized, the first being back in October 2024. The event was hosted at 205 West Monroe in the Chicago Loop. The collaborative archives space is shared by three religious archives: the Claretian Missionaries, the Cenacle Sisters, and the Episcopal Diocese of Chicago.

The reading room of the religious archives collaborative at 205 W. Monroe. Photo by Doris Cardenas

Snacks and drinks were enjoyed as well as a wide-ranging conversation that included topics such as the ethics of collecting far-right materials and the various methods of transferring embroidery patterns. It was a night of networking and camaraderie, and we look forward to CAA hosting more such events in the future.

CAA Craft Night snack table. Photo by Doris Cardenas

Free vintage crafting kits were available for the taking. Photo by Jerice Barrios