Does being described as a "Whirling Dervish" have a positive or negative connotation?

Dervish refers to a religious sect of Islam.

NOUN

A member of a Muslim (specifically Sufi) religious order who has taken vows of poverty and austerity. Dervishes first appeared in the 12th century;

"Whirling Dervish" originally referred to members of this sect who performed a religious dancing ritual, which this youtube link shows to be quite fascinating:

they were noted for their wild or ecstatic rituals and were known as dancing, whirling, or howling dervishes according to the practice of their order.

If you were a Whirling Dervish, you would not be confused by the expression, so your friend likely applied the expression to you metaphorically. The metaphorical use of whirling dervish can swing both ways.

In the positive direction, focus tends toward the religious devotion of the Dervish expressed in the energy and unique skills of the dancing ritual:

2.1 A term of endearment for an energetic, bouncy person.

This seems like a reasonable interpretation of your friends remark: your energetic devotion to home-making and your skills are admirable.

In the negative direction, focus tends toward the irritation of an "erratic foreign activity". This might imply a certain extent of egotism on the part of the speaker.

1.0 A person whose behavior resembles a rapid, spinning object. These actions are often spastic fidgeting and incessant babbling. The actions of the whirling dervish are irritating and annoying, often exhausting other people in the immediate vicinity.

2.2 A spastic, white dancer.

2.3 Also refers to someone that is messy and chaotic, in a cute way.

From your description it does not seem likely that your household is "messy or chaotic in a cute kind of way." It is not a linguistic opinion, but it seems best to give our friends the benefit of the doubt unless they confirm a negative intention.

According to Urban Dictionary:

A person whose behavior resembles a rapid, spinning object. These actions are often spastic fidgeting and incessant babbling. The actions of the whirling dervish are irritating and annoying, often exhausting other people in the immediate vicinity. For Example: that woman must have taken her son's Ritalin. She is behaving like a whirling dervish.

Also,

A term of endearment for an energetic, bouncy person. A spastic, white dancer. Also refers to someone that is messy and chaotic, in a cute way. For example: Sally's excited jumping is adorable, she's such a whirling dervish!

So, it depends on how you use it. Hope the examples cleared it.

"She'll outpester any pest, drive a hornet from its nest.
She could throw a whirling dervish out of whirl."

These are lines from "How do you solve a problem like Maria?" (Sound of Music).

On the face of it, it's not exactly a compliment. But the reference to "whirling dervish" also contains a certain grudging admiration.

I would consider such a statement a "double edged sword."

It is a simile (like a whirling dervish) where the metaphorical sense seems to have strayed far from the original meaning.

The dervishes are an austere Islamic sect of Sufis, dating from the 12th century, and noted for their asceticism. The OED only makes passing reference to whirling and to howling dervishes, and does not even touch the figurative use.

A Muslim friar, who has taken vows of poverty and austere life. Of these there are various orders, some of whom are known from their fantastic practices as dancing or whirling, and as howling dervishes

I doubt that anyone who has described someone as a whirling dervish has a notion of asceticism, nor of piety, in their mind.

Were I so described I would take comfort from the idea that I was a person of activity, but disappointment that I was seen as perhaps scatterbrained.