May was surrounded by art from a young age, sitting as a model to her parents’ friends and studying needlework at school, as well as being taught by her mother Jane and Aunt Elizabeth.
In 1881 May enrolled in the National Art Training School, a precursor to the Royal College of Art, to study embroidery. It was soon apparent that she had a natural skill in needlecraft and by 1885, aged just 23 she became director of the embroidery department at Morris & Co.
Like her father May was a passionate socialist, joining the Social Democratic Federation in Hammersmith in 1884. May and her father later broke from the Federation establishing the Socialist League.
It was through the Socialist League that she met her husband Henry Halliday Sparling, who acted as secretary. Despite her mother’s concerns May married Henry in 1890 but only 4 years later the marriage broke down after May had an affair with former lover, playwright George Bernard Shaw. In 1898 May and Henry divorced and May resumed her maiden name.
May’s career in needlework continued to flourish; she left Morris & Co. becoming a freelance designer, embroiderer and teacher. She wrote articles on historical embroidery and acted as an advisor for colleges setting up embroidery courses.
In 1907 alongside Mary Elizabeth Turner, May set up the Women’s Guild of Art, as at this time the Art Worker’s Guild did not admit women. She continued to teach embroidery across the country from the Royal School of Art Needlework and LCC Central School of Art, as well as in Birmingham, Leicester and Hammersmith.
Embroidery was not her only skill, she is responsible for the wallpaper design ‘Honeysuckle’ and at the turn of the 20th century may began making jewellery.
