You cannot outsmart a cat. Not ever.

I had a foster kitty who loved to take the pins out of my pin cushion. She would find it no matter where I put it. She would sit and calmly remove and drop on the floor every single pin in there. I pushed them all flush with the cushion figuring that would work. Nope just took her a little longer.
Good luck

Mine decided she was afraid of the spray starch and one shake of the can would send her running. That only lasted for so long. :)

I have just about the same problem with my Shadow, a young male cat we got in November. He has decided the quilting room is his, especially my sewing chair. I finally took everything off the cabinets by the window and made his a really nice bed. But he likes my chair more than that bed. When I come in the room and want to sew, I have to love him for about 10 minutes and then take him to his bed. Some days he doesn't like it and will come over and bat at me over and over, wanting me to get out of his chair. I find that if I leave bobbins on the desk, he will knock them all over the room and the thread is quite a mess. I find the only thing I can do is actually lock him out of the room when I sew. And sometimes he throws a fit and hits the door over and over. Shadow likes to walk everywhere he wants to go, which is a problem, sometimes I worry about the hot iron. But I adore this silly cat.

I use the spray bottle, too. It works great!

I agree, she just wants your attention, my cat used to do that with my school books, sounds like a mischievous cat, she is just curious what you are doing. My cat just watches me sew, but she does sit on my fabric, but stays away from my pins and machine. Also how have you reacted when she plays with those things if you don't scold her, she thinks it okay, my cat knows what she can and can't get away with

My cat, Eddie, has me trained to work around him! He does like to "un-thread" my serger! He likes to take small items such as pencils/pens/earrings and put them behind the couch. At least I know where to look for them! I did convince him not to get so close to the iron!!! Yep, a few singed tail hairs! It took me 6 months to train him to lay down on command so I could see the computer monitor over him. They truly "dance to different music"!

Our Meez just draped herself around your neck. She is declawed in the front, but the hind claws are deadly. I have to cover the serger or she makes like a thread cutter and goes "chomp."

The Snowshoe has to jump up on the cutting table to see what you are doing, and the Fluffbutt hogs all the chairs and dispenses fluff.

My cat Roscoe wants attention from me all the time. Some days I am unable to sew, as he comes into my sewing room, and lays down on whatever I am cutting out, or in front of the sewing machine. I usually just unplug everything and leave the area. My fault, I've spoiled him and love him dearly. Cats love the energy from handcrafted items., and will claim any quilt I have finished. Laying down on them as if to say "It's MINE"...

I have several cats and at least one of them does the same things as yours. I also have a gd that pulls out the pins. My answer to that problem is "Wonder Clips" or hair clips. As for wanting to help you sew I use a fine mist spray bottle with water and it seems to discourage her and my dogs. The only other advice I can share is to teach her to sew. LOL