I've been known to whip up a dress and sew the occasional craft, so I figured I had this whole industrial sewing machine thing in the bag. Nope. This thing actually had a clutch! Learning to ride a motorcycle was easier than this. 

The manufacturer that we use to make our plastic clasps has room upon room of archived injection molds waiting for their next use. Turns out the metal used in these things can withstand being used up to 200,000 times during manufacuring.

At a factory in Guangzhou.

Drank this today at lunch with a vendor.

I don't know too many people who get to celebrate their birthdays in a totally different culture. My wonderful Shenzhen colleagues helped me celebrate today by giving me a lovely cake... complete with cherry tomatoes. 

Turns out that welt pockets (like on the back of men's dress pants) are incredibly fast to sew. You just have to have a $60K machine do it for you.

This was apparently one of the "quiet" times at the Wal-Mart in Dafun, Shenzhen.

You know the tough and durable fabric that your nylon gym bag or backpack is made from? This machine coats fabrics like nylon with PVC, PE, or other water-proof backings to create a stronger fabric. 

Thin sheets of the desired coating are heated and pressed into the woven nylon fabric by these giant rollers.

Today I walked by a vendor that exclusively sells eyes for plush animals and dolls. Who knew this was a thing?!

Almost every manufacturer I visit claims to make products for Disney. I'm pretty sure this isn't quite true. But at today's injection molding plant, they had all kinds of Disney gadgets in production on the floor. 

Ever wonder how P-Diddy's coats from the early aughts got so puffy? Chances are that one of these machines was used. In the hopper on the left, fiber fill is fluffed and circulated, then is pumped through the hose on the bottom right into the coat. 

All my clothes were covered from head to toe in jack insulation once we got done with this tour. 

Photos of some of my favorite meals in Mainland China and Hong Kong

Turns out the first step to founding a garment factory is securing a very large open building. The second step is refusing to pay a bribe to local government officials. The third step is to then buy a ton of sewing machines.

As soon as it's 12:30 all of the sewers bolt for the door. It's traditional for factories to provide breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and the lines can get pretty long.