I have been watching Alex Anderson usually M-W-F do a little FB live program. One day she offered free her pattern for Love Thy Neighbor and gave us some tips. She recommends not traveling between letters and shapes so she uses just one plain piece of fabric with no backing. She also did a demo on how to start without using a knot....so cool, maybe you could google the method? I always have a hand embroidered project on the go, and have really enjoyed using her tips.