If you’re not being called back, it might not be because of your portfolio projects or lack there of. You might just not be standing out during the 5 seconds in which someone’s glancing over your cv. Time to change the dynamic. Can you network into these companies? Do they host meetups? Perhaps you can find a mentor who works there. Can you get some feedback on your CV and resume?

I think the projects are important, but probably not at the initial stages. Projects also teach you things, so I’m certainly not telling you to stop. I just don’t think that’s the reason you’re not getting through the screen.