Nope. If you leave an opening anywhere else you won't get the nice finished edge you have on your potholder. Very cute by the way. I see you machine sew the loop on and sew the turning spot shut on the spot between the ears (which looks perfect.) The only thing that help me when birthing smaller things is to use my pinking shears around the outside just leaving a 1/4 inch seam. I also clip off the corners on sharp spots like the ears.
You could do the back in 2 sections and hand stitch the seam closed after sewing all around the edges and turning.