Can anyone tell me what's the best method for covering a pillow cake with fondant?

I've been reading about the following two methods, but can't make up my mind as to which one is the easiest or more effective

Do you recommend:

1) Covering first one layer of cake with fondant, then adding filling, next attaching second layer on top and finally covering the top layer (and I'm guessing filling too) with fondant.

OR

2) Crumbcoating the whole filled cake, then covering it all with fondant and smoothing it to completely cover the bottom layer.

Suggestions anyone?? THANKS!!!

#2. Sorry, but #1 doesn't make sense to me at all!

Um, I've always taken a carved/crumbcoated pillow cake and fondanted one side and trimmed, then flipped the cake and covered the other side. Then I use some kind of trim (rope,etc) to hide the join. Is that what you mean?

#2...if you go to wilton.com, they have instructions on covering pillow cakes. Also, if you have a wilton book, in the middle where they have the pan sizes and some recipes, they also have a section on covering different cakes in fondant!!!

I haven,t made a pillow cake yet, But have been studying on them also. I would go the way Toptier says she does it. That is the instruction i liked best when deciding for me. hth

Toptier's way is easiest. I've made one, and I did it the second way, wow was it frustrating. I will try it half and half next time.

I done one (well) two (stacked) the second way and they both turned out fine. Just take your time with the bottom half of the pillow.

Thank you all for you kind answers

I went ahead and followed Toptier's advice and it worked GREAT!! Covering one side of the cake with fondant and then flipping it and covering the other side wasn't as difficult as I had feared, it was quite easy actually!

So, thanks again for your answers and I'm happy to share that I am now the very proud maker of a very beatiful cake, in my eyes at least!