Is it just me, or did Flora like messing with Merryweather?

Forcing her to be the dummy, ignoring her opinion on the color of the dress, insulting her ("That's because it's on you, dear"), and especially practically suffocating her under that dress material? Her grunting and muffled protests were hilarious. The way she struggled, she was clearly uncomfortable (she even said she couldn't breathe, lol).
When Flora tightly tied that sash around her fat middle, which also seemed uncomfortable to her, what was even the point of that, since it served no purpose to the dress and Flora cut it off anyway? Did it seem like she mostly used it to bind Merryweather's arms to her sides to keep her still while she worked?