![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimosH68LY4HD9cDnMGtRN6jEt5PzyQ7TiVCYC5RDW9eutfcbjg97A-uzapFHvBqcd9qqwbPyBaNlT41Oa88Da3YcJpmO7hVFOqN1O9uzQpweNGtdS9R4k8OQHcCBtuqZ0mzsex/s640/totes_square_back.jpg)
Yesterday,
Ligatures type club launched their online
shop with their first product, the official
"We Totes Love Type" tote bag. I have been working on this project for months, and it was so exciting to see everything come together in the last couple weeks.
I wanted to design a tote bag that 1) people would use, and 2) people would be proud to show off. I settled on "We Totes Love Type" for the front (a fun play on words!) and a pattern of "Totes" lettering on the back. Below is one of the original sketches.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm8L0Ld46RHcEFydbGcNeZ8IXjyPISqpQDneYhV2dq7sgBCmrrSAxikVf8qhhdyo1fKbJg9PoFHsiWeqWMIKIlchD7VRwPINil0dRflnm0icrGxlPY7d_UAJya9a-J2vjGC4W3/s800/totessketch.JPG)
I whipped out my brush pens and did
a lot of lettering until I came up with the perfect "Totes" text. The "love" text was based on some previous lettering I did for Ligatures. And the word "TYPE" is based on actual wood type, courtesy of
Snap + Tumble letterpress. Thanks, Tanya!
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8_Ew8fgh0CWTSBlKRSzUhEE5U8OG-v90TXr1XA_1bJoaAQqydlhfpd3hiZ0651LubNy9os9YuZINjGwxn0YAA-3g5emVMQkl9f4NjIJ4XesnHnRJWxJc1a_M5qEPezwJ_rTk4/s800/totemaking6.JPG)
After sourcing several canvas tote bags across Toronto, I finally found one really great source that offered super strong, thick totes at a fair price. I finalized the layout and then got in touch with
Paul Dotey, who offered to help out with the screen printing.
Leslie & I went to Paul's studio one evening in May for an epic tote printing party! Here are some behind-the-scenes shots.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirsXevl0cQ2cgbIt6-FDFJEDirjRNkfbz5xZkmk5y3-FvjhQgVPB453TB-5p5wcB-ZEgE8OSfjzsaGiOUiMJG024FHxdEsha2BIDcx6u9lYaNBEOASOcy3MrF2G21ZRY-Xrjia/s800/totemaking3.JPG)
And here are the final totes! We're super happy with the results. You can check out lots more photos on the
Ligatures blog.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYpOTkhgvvQgXHPkKl5kL1pS_weKMNF5MV3hZyIoyvCU9NZuLOFQdwJZ4mErfYB6rra23RhYQsfsvaHnFIGQdQhq4FVoVzzkO3h6pInbL2KjoFRYxUl_7g5O_ZgX4otxNg7D9v/s800/totemaking7.JPG)
Please hop on over to the
Ligatures shop and pick up your
tote today!