Between my little Singer and the Brother I bought about 10 years ago, I can do almost anything I want in piecing and FMQing. I don't have room for a longarm. I had a smaller frame for the Brother for a while and it felt like the elephant in the kitchen - always in my way and it didn't like the way I FMQ, so it is up for sale for someone who does oodles of lap quilts with pantos. I'm like you and like to "do it all myself". I'm terrible at envisioning a final product. My quilts are always a work in design progress until I put the last stitch in the binding.
Diana